Germany Commits to Spending 100 Billion Euros to Modernize Military Capacity in Response to Poland’s Request to Send Tanks to Ukraine

Germany is rethinking its approach to defense at home and abroad, as Poland announced Monday that it would ask Berlin for permission to send German-built Leopard tanks to Ukraine. This comes as the government in Warsaw pushes its Western allies to move faster on supplying Kyiv with more military hardware to thwart Russia’s invasion.

In response, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivered a head-turning speech to parliament in which he committed to spending 100 billion euros ($108 billion) to modernize Germany’s military capacity. This is a significant shift from Germany’s decades-long policy of low spending on defense.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also commented on the situation, saying that Berlin wouldn’t seek to stop Poland from providing Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. This statement was welcomed by Polish officials, who are eager to provide Ukraine with the necessary military hardware to protect itself from Russia’s invasion.

The past 12 months has forced European leaders to seriously rethink their approach to national security. Germany’s commitment to spending 100 billion euros to modernize its military capacity is a clear indication of this shift in policy. It remains to be seen how this increased spending will affect Germany’s defense capabilities and its relationship with its allies in the region.