FILE - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, right, talks to soldiers during a visit at the Bundeswehr tank battalion 203 at the Bundeswehr tank battalion 203 at the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Germany's Defense Minister has rejected suggestions that the country's armed forces are in a state of disarray, after parliament’s commissioner for the military warned that troops have “too little of everything.†Defense Minister Boris Pistorius acknowledged Thursday, March 16, 2023, that there were “deficits in the military, but these aren't due to the military, rather they lie in the equipment and in a number of structures.†(AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
FILE - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, right, talks to soldiers during a visit at the Bundeswehr tank battalion 203 at the Bundeswehr tank battalion 203 at the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Germany's Defense Minister has rejected suggestions that the country's armed forces are in a state of disarray, after parliament’s commissioner for the military warned that troops have “too little of everything.†Defense Minister Boris Pistorius acknowledged Thursday, March 16, 2023, that there were “deficits in the military, but these aren't due to the military, rather they lie in the equipment and in a number of structures.†(AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
mmBERLIN (AP) — Germany's defense minister rejected suggestions that the country's armed forces were in disarray, a response given Thursday after parliament’s commissioner for the military warned that troops have “too little of everything.â€
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who took office two months ago after , acknowledged “deficits in the military" but said "these aren't due to the military. Rather, they lie in the equipment and in a number of structures.â€
“But the Bundeswehr is far from being a mess,†Pistorius told reporters while visiting a military base near the eastern town of Mahlwinkel.
The defense minister said efforts were being made to speed up procurement processes, which he hoped would be effective.
On Wednesday, the German parliament’s commissioner for the military, Eva Hoegl, criticized the slow pace of Germany’s drive to modernize its armed forces.
“The Bundeswehr has too little of everything, and even less since Feb. 24, (2022),†she said, referring to the date of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany, along with other supporters of Ukraine, has provided Kyiv with substantial amounts of military aid, depleting its own weapons stocks in the process.
Asked about criticism that none of a 100 billion-euro special fund for the military that was established last year had been spent yet, Pistorius insisted the money would flow.
“About 30 billion euros of the special fund are (already) tied to contracts,†he said, adding that payment for arms procurement normally only occurs upon delivery, and fulfilling purchase orders can take months or years.
The ºÃÉ«tv Press. All rights reserved.
It’s a little-known fact that Canada’s credit unions are among the country’s stron…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
