Germany’s stunning decision to send anti-tank weapons and surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine—citing “a new reality”—is nothing less than a historic break with its post-World War II foreign and security policy.
A woman shows a peace sign in front of a Russian WWII tank at the Soviet War Memorial at the bolevard 'Strasse des 17. Juni' alongside a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. Ukraine
“With his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, President Putin created a new reality,” Scholz told the Bundestag, his speech repeatedly greeted by applause, particularly his condemnations of the Russian leader. “This reality demands a clear answer. We’ve given one.” Germany’s foreign policy has long been characterized by a strong aversion to the use of military force, an approach German politicians explain as rooted in its history of military aggression against its neighbors during the 20th century.
Still, until this weekend, the German government had balked at sending weapons to Ukraine, even as it faced growing international criticism for its hesitation. Shortly afterwards, the chancellor's office went further and said it would send its own weapons, including 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles, directly to Ukraine. It also committed to targeted bans on Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial system, which German leaders had expressed reluctance to do.
The country was a favorite target of former U.S. President Donald Trump for its failure to spend 2 percent of its GDP on defense, a target for NATO members. According to NATO figures, Berlin spent around 1.53 percent of GDP in 2021, or almost $65 billion. Its budget has grown annually for several years.