BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – As a consequence of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck believes that more must be invested in the operational capability of the Bundeswehr. Germany is now more or less the neighbor of a country that is aggressively waging war, said the Greens politician on Thursday evening on the ZDF program “Markus Lanz”. This will certainly have the consequence that the Bundeswehr’s operational capability will have to be reviewed again – “and – I don’t think I’m going to reveal any secrets – will have to be increased”.
In the ARD “Tagesthemen”, the Federal Minister of Economics emphasized that in Germany, too, one must ensure “that we have a fully capable army that is operational and robust”. One could also have doubts about that, said the Green politician with a view to the current state of the German armed forces.
The attack on Ukraine “cannot be explained rationally,” Habeck said on ZDF. With this war, Putin is harming Russia and his own regime. “Europe, the West, the free world – they will turn away now because you can’t do business with warmongers and dictators.” This is not for the good of Russia. “The irrationality that speaks from it makes it just as dangerous.” The attack had been planned well in advance and in cold blood. “We must now admit that we have been naïve over the last few weeks and months.”/sk/DP/he