Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was quoted as saying that Germany's military can't fill its existing gaps by 2030, as Berlin seeks to restructure its forces after Russia's invasion of Ukraine after decades of neglect.
It will take years for the gaps to be fully closed by 2030. Pistorius said in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Saturday that the Bundeswehr is in worse shape than a year ago, despite decades of underinvestment. Weapons donated to Ukraine have mostly not yet been replaced, according to experts.
Pistorius rejected further arms deliveries to Ukraine from the Bundeswehr stocks that were beyond the agreed upon commitments.
Like other nations, we have a limited inventory. I can't give everything away, he said, as the federal defence minister.
He said increasing the defence budget to meet the NATO spending target of 2 per cent of national output, from around 1.5 per cent, was his highest priority, despite the fact that he was appointed earlier this year.
He said if that is set in motion at the end of the legislative period, then I would be satisfied.
Germany is planning a naval mission in the Indo-Pacific region next year and is intensifying its partnerships with key countries in the region, such as Japan, Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore, he said, because Europe's freedom of movement in the seas was too challenged.