The decision clears the way for the government to move ahead with a massive procurement drive that Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Parliament’s upper house, which represents Germany’s 16 state governments, signed off on the plan a week after the lower house gave its blessing. Scholz’s governing coalition held lengthy negotiations with the main opposition Union bloc to secure wide backing ahead of the votes.

Scholz announced the fund on Feb. 27, three days after Russia invaded Ukraine, and said that Germany would now spend over 2% of its gross domestic product on defense — a NATO target on which it has long lagged. The government and the opposition agreed that defense spending would meet the 2% target “on a multi-year average,” with help from the special fund.

Officials acknowledge that the German military, the Bundeswehr, has for years suffered from neglect and in particular from aging, poorly functioning equipment.

Among other things on the shopping list, the defense ministry says it will buy 60 Chinook CH-47F transport helicopters, made by Boeing. The government also wants to buy up to 35 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to replace aging Tornado aircraft.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-sports-germany-230ba0d176b095606861f70578375513

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Germany has announced it will buy a fleet of Chinook CH-47 transport helicopters as part of a €100 billion ($107bn) upgrade of its military after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The 60 Chinooks will replace an ageing stock of Sikorsky CH-53G helicopters that were first used by the West German military in the 1970s.

They were chosen ahead of a more modern Sikorsky model because the Chinook is widely used in Europe and will allow for more military co-operation between Germany and its neighbours, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said.

The order is part of what Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described as a watershed moment for Germany’s armed forces after years of underinvestment.

Ministers blame the military’s threadbare supplies for limiting how far they can go in arming Ukraine without leaving Germany exposed. Kyiv has expressed frustration over the slow pace of weapons deliveries from Berlin.

“Russia’s brutal war of aggression has made us painfully aware of a long-overlooked fact: anyone who wants to live in freedom needs military strength to defend that freedom,” Ms. Lambrecht said.

Germany at NATO@GermanyNATO
The CH-47F Chinook is to be the #Bundeswehr’s new heavy-lift transport helicopter. It will strengthen our ability to work with other armed forces in Europe. It is modern, tried & tested, and already in use by our #NATO partners. The Bundestag has yet to approve this decision.

Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2022/06/02/germany-orders-60-chinook-helicopters-in-military-upgrade/

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A two-day closed-door German Cabinet meeting ended on Wednesday as Berlin seeks to counter criticism of its policy on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Leaders of the parties that make up the German government outlined their discussions in a press conference.

They underlined support for an EU embargo on Russian oil, but also warned that there could be consequences when it came to supply and prices.

What did the coalition leaders say?
Economy Minister and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said a gradual EU ban on Russian oil imports could lead to supply “disruptions.” He said there may also be price increases, but still backed the measure as necessary.

“I have said a few times that we can of course not guarantee in this situation that there won’t be disruptions, primarily regional disruptions,” Habeck told reporters.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has been more cautious than other Western leaders in backing Ukraine, faces growing pressure to take a firmer line, including from within his own three-way governing coalition.

Appearing alongside Habeck, Scholz said Russian President Vladimir Putin had miscalculated with his war against Ukraine.

The chancellor said Putin was now facing a stronger and more united NATO and EU, rather than a weakened one. He also said the Cabinet had discussed legislation to speed up the development of Liquefied Natural Gas and that this would be put forward by early next week.

Also speaking at the press conference, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said new sanctions had been discussed, including whether those on sanctions lists should make their assets public.

German chancellor cites ‘problem’ with Kyiv
Scholz is still under pressure to do more and has been criticized for not visiting the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in a show of solidarity for the country.

The chancellor has ruled out making a trip in the near future, citing the Ukrainian leadership’s decision last month to disinvite German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a fellow Social Democrat.

In the press conference, Scholz said there was a “problem” in Germany’s relations with Ukraine after the German president was stopped from visiting Kyiv last month.

“It is a problem for the German government and for the German people that the president was asked not to come,” Scholz said.

Ukraine has criticized Steinmeier, claiming that he failed to heed the threat posed by Russia during his time as German foreign minister. Ukraine’s ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, criticized Scholz’s reasons for not making the visit, saying it was “not very statesmanlike.”

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s opposition Christian Democrats who lost power in last September’s election, visited Kyiv and the nearby bombed-out town of Irpin on Tuesday. He said he would report his findings from the trip back to Scholz.

What’s been discussed?
The key topics of the two-day meeting were the war in Ukraine and the German economy.

Germany has changed tack on its previous policy of not shipping weapons to combat zones by sending weapons to help Ukraine in its fight against Moscow’s forces.

Last week, Berlin also said it would allow the delivery of heavy weaponry in the form of Gepard anti-aircraft tanks.

On Monday, leading members of the government said Germany was prepared to support an EU embargo on Russian oil.

Earlier on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a plan for a complete ban on Russian oil imports. Crude oil supplies would be phased out within six months and imports of refined products by the end of the year.

Finland and Sweden join discussion
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson joined the Cabinet for their talks on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told both that he would support their countries’ application to become members of the NATO alliance.

rc/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-warns-prices-may-spike-as-russia-sanctions-tighten/a-61681026

The post Germany warns prices may spike as Russia sanctions tighten first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Macron told journalists after an EU summit in Brussels that the Russian move “is not in line with what was signed, and I do not see why we would apply it.”

Putin made the demand this week as Moscow struggles to prop up its economy in the face of debilitating sanctions imposed by the West over his invasion of Ukraine.

Macron said that “we are continuing our analysis work” following the Kremlin’s maneuver.

But he insisted “all the texts signed are clear: it is prohibited. So European players who buy gas and who are on European soil must do so in euros.”

“It is therefore not possible today to do what is requested, and it is not contractual,” he said.

The French leader said he believed Moscow was using the step as “a mechanism to circumvent” EU sanctions against it for the assault on Ukraine.

Major gas buyer Germany has denounced the move and Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday reiterated that the contracts clearly stipulated how the gas should be paid for.

Europe is scrambling to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. It continues to funnel hundreds of millions of euros each day to Moscow in energy payments, which are currently outside the scope of the sanctions.

Some EU nations have called for the bloc to ban Moscow’s key energy exports, but the move has so far been stymied by countries including Germany that remain too wary of the cost of cutting the cord.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/macron-dismisses-putin-demand-for-gas-payments-in-rubles/6502528.html

The post Macron Dismisses Putin Demand for Gas Payments in Rubles first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The country will ease COVID-19 restrictions, as a wave of infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant seems to have passed its peak, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, but he warned that the pandemic was not over yet.

“We can look into the future with more optimism than we could in the last few weeks,” he said.

The three-point plan agreed on Wednesday envisages a stage-by-stage lifting of restrictions for private gatherings, retail outlets and restaurants and hotels.

From 20th March, all of the more far-reaching protective measures are to be dropped.

After a meeting with the heads of the federal states earlier on Wednesday, Scholz said Germany was ready to look forward with more confidence regarding COVID-19.

“After these long two years, we deserve that things somehow improve again and it looks a bit like that’s exactly what we have in front of us,” Scholz told reporters after the meeting.

On Wednesday, Germany reported 219,972 new daily coronavirus cases, down 6% compared to the same day last week. The seven-day infection incidence per 100,000 people also dropped to 1,401 from 1,438 on Tuesday.

In a three-stage plan, the government agreed to lift restrictions on private indoor meetings for those vaccinated or recovered from the virus in coming days. Checks at non-essential stores for a proof of vaccination or a negative test result will end but masks will still be required.

Source: https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2022/02/17/germany-plans-freedom-day-as-covid-19-curbs-to-be-lifted-from-march-20

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