This is hardly possible in the short time. “Nevertheless, more speed is needed,” emphasized Wüstner. “Whether in terms of material, personnel or infrastructure, a real turnaround that can be felt in the troops is needed in this legislative period, otherwise that would be the turning point.”
On February 27, 2022 – three days after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – Scholz spoke of a “turning point” in a speech in the Bundestag. At the same time, he announced a special fund of 100 billion euros to make the Bundeswehr, which had been saved over the years, fit again for national and alliance defense.
Wüstner now said that he did not consider the Bundeswehr to be fully operational or ready to defend itself in its current state. The Bundeswehr was not already at the beginning of the Ukraine war. But the material deliveries to the Ukraine created further gaps.
None of the material delivered to Ukraine was replaced, said the head of the Bundeswehr Association. For example, for the self-propelled howitzers handed over to Kiev, “not a single one” has been ordered for the Bundeswehr to date. The 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks that Germany will deliver to Ukraine “have to be reordered in the next few weeks,” Wüstner demanded.
