German Chancellor Olaf Scholz touches his face mask during a budget session, in the plenary hall of the lower house of the German parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany March 22, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
March 22, 2022
BERLIN (Reuters) – Part of the 100 billion euros ($110 billion) pledged by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to boost defences may be used to support foreign security forces such as Ukraine with equipment and training, according to a draft law agreed by the government.
“The projects (that can be invested in) comprise measures… designed to equip and strengthen security forces of partners,” the draft law aiming to enable the government to set up the special fund says.
The draft still needs parliamentary approval.
It was not immediately clear whether the German government intended to spend part of the money on arms supplies to Kyiv. A government source said that “partners” meant third countries, hence non-EU countries.
In a landmark speech three days after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Scholz announced that Germany would sharply increase its defence spending to more than 2% of its economic output and inject 100 billion euros into the Bundeswehr defence force.
In another major policy shift, Germany also started to supply anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons from military stocks to Kyiv.
Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, however, said later the German military could not give away any more of its weapons, suggesting the government should buy arms to pass them on to Ukraine.
($1 = 0.9070 euros)
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Christian Kraemer, writing by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Source: One America News Network
