Why Germany Won't Give Ukraine Taurus & Why It Fails To Fix Its Military | Ep. 16 Ulrike Franke
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- ➡️ PATREON: / decodinggeopolitics
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Dr Ulrike Franke is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations who's focusing on German Security, Foreign and Defense policy and has a deep insight into the inner workings of German political and security institutions.
We talked about how Germany has changed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, why it struggles so much to rebuild its military, why it still refuses to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine, whether the German public has abandoned its pacifism or whether Germany should get a nuclear bomb.
Thank you to everyone who's supporting this podcast on Patreon and now enjoy the conversation.
Follow Dr. Franke on Twitter: / rikefranke
0:00 - Intro
01:14 - How Russian Invasion Changed Germany
07:04 - Why Germany Struggles to Fix Its Military
13:54 - The Problem With German Military Budget
20:04 - Do Germans Want a Military Build-Up?
29:28 - The German Leaks Scandal
35:04 - Why Germany Refuses to Give Ukraine Taurus Missiles
42:25 - Germany and Deployment of NATO Troops to Ukraine
If you want to see the rest of the interview, support the channel and get a bunch of other perks, you can go to my Patreon: www.patreon.com/DecodingGeopolitics
The german defense minister is the firsst for many years who has ever served !
Before we had women without any clue except how to manage a bureaucracy and that is how they had started to deal with them, more paper work and reports for the military but not fixing anything.
Germany will not get any serious power unless the reestablish a kind of SS or foreign legion full of refuggees that wanna fight cause germans no longer want to fight in the stupid army system for no money. Only the weak without perspective join the army cause there is no military duty any more. You want to make a fast career instead of loosing most rights and serve in the army digging trenches.
At the end it is also a relaxed way to say: Why should we fight the russians, let all the eastern europeans save their skin first cause these highly corrupt countries from east europe do not share the EU mindset we had before they became members. Orban says YES to Sweden becoming a Nato member, but you have to pay me first 10 .000.000.000 € !
This is not the EU style. WHile the refugee crisis they did not care. Now we do not care and simply wait till the russians might appear on our border, if they ever will. And then we will fight again and take our next chance. We had won in 1917 - and who knows how it would have ended without Japan attacking Pearl Harbour and a german spy telling Stalin that Japan would not attack Russia which allowed him to bring the reserves to Moscow from the chinese border in Winter 1941.
No, I am not in a hurry, and Poles haven stolen the country my family has owned for more than 600 years as part of the knights .
We want first our properties back for sure. Grandpa had fought twice the russians in 1916 / 17 and from 1941 onwards till he became a russian prisoner and he survived the Gulag and what not while his wife fled over the frozen baltic sea and escaped in February 1945 when the Gustlov were sank, the biggest lost of lifes in maritime history.
On the Taurus discussion. She’s wrong on at least to accounts. The Taurus could have turned the tide of the war by taking out the Kerch bridge before Russia built the coastal train. Also, the fear of escalation is IRRATIONAL. The fact that US and Germany are afraid of escalation is proof of a successful Russian psyop. Escalation is the last thing Putin wants. He’s afraid of nato/US. If they escalate, he’s done, and likely not just in Ukraine.
Dude, look at the map and tell me that the Russians wouldn't be able to establish a ferry a few km above the bridge. Not to mention, that they are able to repair it in a few days or weeks. Taurus has only 100 kg of explosives. Yes, makes a hole but doesn't destroy the bridge completely. Remember Remagen bridge in WWII? And the Germans threw way bigger stuff at it but couldn't destroy it.
100% true
@@0Turboxthat ferry would not be able to take weight of the heavy armor crap they are moving over the bridge
@@0Turbox they don't seem to have enough ferries, otherwise they wouldn't be using their landing ships for transport roles. And the sea conditions are not always favorable for them.
@@user-im8hb6ze2zThey don't need too, or is there fighting on the Crimea peninsula? As long the Ukrainians don't take the Kherson area completely, the Russians won't have to fear supplying the Crimea, with or without the bridge. They will find ways anyway. Don't underestimate your opponent!
Frau Franke does a good job in being objective in her handling of Scholz and his apprehensions about escalation, but there's a reason every military command you'll hear speak on this criticise Scholz and Biden: Their position on containment gives no clear mission or guidance. It's a meaningless position for military operations and leaves open the question, "So Herr Scholz, you'd prefer this war go on for 20 years with no clear goal in sight, than try what is advisable to end it in a fashion that generally favours Germany?" I don't think either he or Biden have an answer for this and they're not strategic thinkers. This idea that they can somehow contain and guide Putin shows reckless poor judgement, perpetuated by Merkel in 2008 and Obama and the EU telling Ukraine to just give up Crimea to Putin in 2014; you know, to make him happy. Geez we've seen this misconception fail and fail and fail. When will it stop? (When will they stop being so arrogant and start listening to the leaders of Eastern Europe?)
What's even more difficult to listen to is her echoing this idea that containing this war so its only Ukrainians dying and fighting for European security is preferable to, for example, fewer people of multiple nationalities dying and all Europe sharing the responsibility for the future of Europe. What does it say that when a people rise up (as in 2013-14) and assert their conviction to be part of the EU and the West, and that the EU shows this much disinterest in their mortal fate? Everyone in this conversation knows Russia is at least an antagonist toward the EU and is acting concertedly to disassemble it. Let's stop treating Ukrainians like a charity case, and more like fellow Europeans involved in a common struggle with a common goal in mind. They've been extremely "responsible" with the weapon capabilities they've received and there's no reason not to trust them with long-range precision fires. I'd say Olaf Scholz has a better chance of growing a spine, and Joe Biden some testicles, than Ukraine wasting precious precision fires on soft civilian targets.
The final points in the free video on why lots of European countries are so ill-prepared to aid Ukraine in materiel is important and too often overlooked: How is Germany buying F-35 and France plunging a lot of money into its nuclear arsenal going to help Ukraine? If the Taurus cruise missile cannot be transferred to where it's needed and Germany will avoid combat like cold beer, why did they spend so much money on a splendid system in the first place? They hardly have enough to deter Russia even from invading Ger,any. Why hold on to your Leopard 2s if giving them to Ukraine may mean German crews will never have to drive them into combat. The logic is more that of politicians who think about getting re-elected rather than leaders thinking about real and present solutions so that Putin never succeeds in Europe.
Exactly, Scholz position is only delaying the inevitable if Ukraine fails - pukin will knock on Scholz's border in a couple of years. This is appalling
The most helpful statement of the problem Germany faces is the speaker's 'correction' that Ukraine was not invaded in 2014 but rather that Crimea was annexed. It's a problem if experts still have to accommodate themselves to audiences that still have trouble calling an invasion an invasion.
Just like Hitler annexed the Sudetenland and Austria. He just rolled in and everyone was fine with it.
I cringed at her statement, too. Glad you called it out.
Because it wasn’t an invasion. Russian troops are stationed on the peninsula since before the American declaration of independence. They didn’t need to cross any border.
@@jansix4287 It's one thing to lease a naval station, it's another to take over Crimea.
If you sublet, to me, a bedroom in your house, but then I force you out and take your entire house - I bet you would consider that an invasion!
Stop making excuses for Russia's bad behavior. No wonder their only friends are tyrant-nations.
@@jansix4287 You forget about Donbas. It wasn't a civil conflict, those were special ops operatives, paramilitaries, and proxies, fully supported by Russia. Later in 2014 came the insertion of regular Russian troops; between 2014 and 2022 Russia directly supported the "DNR" and "LNR" with funds, hardware, and higher officers/managers.
Great video. Good questions, and Ulrike's level of knowledge and forthrightness, while being relatively succinct, was great.
It's madness that politicians talk of wanting stalemate in ukraine, as though Ukrainian blood and soldiers were infinite
Well, the west is not caring about so called "Ukrainians", this is why they keep sending weapons and pushing for prolonged war "to the last Ukrainian". All they want is to make harm to Russia, first using artificial nation of Ukraine then probably Poland...
It is appalling that they think that pukin will not be a threat to NATO and so it is ok to let Ukraine fail
Countires like Poland has been warning Germany for years that Putin would not stop. Poles heard "you are oversensitive". Next time you'd better listen to Russia's neighbours.. They know Russia well.
Absolutely. I very much admire Poland it has become the new leader militarily in Europe with a very robust economy near 1 Trillions US in the next 3 years or so.
Not oversensitive, just overly stupid. Have a good look at Ukraine and realize, this could be Poland. And then have a good hard look at Finland’s Russia policy and recognize that sounds a lot more like Germany. Speaking softly and maintaining a close alliance with EU, NATO, UN and every international organization there is. Poland under PiS allied itself with Trump against Brussels, against Germany, against gays and muslims and atheists and women’s rights and refugees and even against Ukrainian farmers. The Polish know no friends just their own selfish interests. Who will come to their rescue? And who will let them fight alone with a few arms deliveries? Let Trump safe Warsaw with one phone call as he promised to do for Kiev (if re-elected).
@@jansix4287 100% agreed. We should all submit to our Russian overlords. Democracy is overrated anyway. Authoritarians know what's best for us. Let us look forward to the bright future as we can see it in Russia.
@@jansix4287 PiS is no longer in power in Poland and Poland is Nato member unlike Ukraine.
@@Blanka1100 PiS is an expression of Polish right-wing nationalism. And if the US threatening "serious consequences" prior to the invasion couldn’t deter Russia, then NATO membership means nothing.
Maybe it is also important to state that there is still a divide between the East of Germany (former GDR area) which still much more believes in the "Klassenfeind Amerika " than West-Germany and hence has more sympathy for Russia. Also Germany has a lot of russian influx (Russlanddeutsche) and some of them are very much on term with what the Russian propaganda is puting out there. And yes it is true that Taurus won't change the war but at the same time the loss of control theory is crazy. If Ukraine uses it on targets that weren't agreed on they will have a serious issue in future weapon supplies because they have shown to be untrustworthy. And at the same time it would be crazy to assume that Russia would respond in a nuclear way to Germany if the Kerch Bridge is hit (that would be the maximal escalation they have - why should they waste it on something that won't decisively change the course of war).
Can you explain how people who lived through the DDR have sympathy for Russia? because that seems like a case of serious brain malfunction.
@@ericdane7769 I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there still has been somewhat of an economic relationship between Russia and the former GDR states before the sanctions against Russia came in place. Especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the Pro-Russia voices are the loudest. And people from those areas feel like that they are treated unfair again from the West-German leadership of the country (like second class citizens) and therefore have this - the enemy of my enemy must be my friend attitude - towards Russia. (This feeling also has been in place after the fall of the Berlin Wall - when a lot of East German companies had to shut down due to the end of business with the USSR even though their business was flourishing before, and they accused the western part of the country for that.) Also during GDR times there has been a lot of cultural exchange between the GDR and Russia (It was mandatory to learn Russian from grade five onwards, and a lot of pen friendships were formed). So there is also this wrong nostalgic romanticism (I bet many of the people who grew up during those times can still sing Blauer Wagon - [Голубой вагон] from Tscheburaschka [Чебурашка]) and feeling of comradery with Russians (not Putin per se). And a minority likes the values that they think Russia stands for (anti-feminsism, against LGBTQ, against migrant influx, strong leadership....). And then there are those that support Russia unintentionally because they feel like it is not "their war" and therefore want to freeze the conflict/ don't want Germany to support Ukraine with any weapons/money because they feel like it is better to use those financial resources here in Germany on what they feel like are "our" issues.
@@rolphD Thanks for this extensive answer !
Yet it's interesting that people so easily forget about their past misery if they feel excluded from current joy. Like preferring an abusive ex partner over a neglecting current one. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, but c'mon, the GDR was horrible, and people are infinitely better off now.
This a great interview. Thanks, both of you
27:45 The nuclear scare within the peace movement in Germany was kind of engineered and steered by the old KGB in response to Franz Josef Strauß' attempt at gaining nukes for the Bundeswehr in the late 50s / early 60s.
some say green movement is similar KGB project in 1970s maybe born and strong in germany now. We can see how both of those things make germany weak and dependent on russian produce + easily managed via psyops.
if Trump gets a 2nd term he will effectively render NATO moot simply by doing nothing if Russia is testing the Wests resolve by staging a minor incident in the Baltics or something. then it becomes clear for everyone in Europe the US cannot be relied upon any longer. not just in Europe. quite sure in this case countries like Japan, South-Korea and Taiwan will have similar feelings of abandonment and start thinking of acquiring nukes for their safety.
Poland will certainly one of the countries in Europe starting to explore the option of acquiring nukes and Germany will have that discussion too. the world will become a lot scarier.
A well-founded portrait of the current debate about Germany's war capability with regard to the war in Ukraine. (I say this as a German.) It remains to be hoped that Germany, which made Russia so strong in the first place with its gas purchases, will finally wake up and take responsibility. And responsibility does not mean provoking Russia as little as possible but rather showing Russia clear boundaries through actual defensiveness.
Good stuff, very informative and wide-ranging discussion. Great guest.
Awesome conversation. Germany has the opportunity to be a sheep dog. They can’t become sheep just because they were once wolves. This can be their redemption. Cowardice is not the answer.
I'm from Austria and I perceive it the same. I remember discussion with my, very short time, boss 20 years ago who claimed, there would never be a war again and this just shortly after the Yugoslav Wars directly at our border.
🤮🤦🏼♂️
And you still didn't notice that ALL wars are american wars and haven't heard about CIA/Nuland works in Ukraine?
@@dv8ug Just because in almost every war, one party is an ally of the US and the US is the most powerful country in the world.
Why would the US not support Ukraine? Just because the US backs one side doesn't mean it's the US' war.
Many countries support Ukraine and have some people there.
No idea what you actually try to say.
@@dv8ug Russians see USA everywhere and blame USA for each Russia's failure. Interesing. Why don't Russians stop invading and making mess in Eastern Europe in the first place?
Containerships are also high efficient, but it needs effort to set new course, specially when it change almost 180 degrees in the opposite.
The truth and nothing but the truth!
The fact that Ukraine keeps begging for Taurus, should be enough to understand that it’s needed. What kind of an ally are you withholding crucial resources that could help your ally, who keeps losing people by the thousands, while your explanations for not helping, are vague at best?
You nailed it 😎
Ukraine was already begging for German submarines, right after they received the okay for Leopard 2 tanks, which as expected turned out to be insignificant in an artillery war with drone surveillance. Ukrainians didn’t know how to avoid war with Russia like Finnland and they are just now learning how hard it is to fight a war against Russia, which Finnlabd already knows.
As a supporter of Ukraine, I very much agree with the spirit of your comment. Technically, however, Germany is not a Ukrainian ally. It's not a signatory of the Budapest Memorandum, for example.
I'm old enough to remember the 1990s. Times were very different. Some Western Europeans were actually worried about Germany being reunited again. They were not ready for it to become a great military power again.
Germany's weakness in military matters is not an accident. It's by design. It takes time to gear up again physically and mentally.
@@jansix4287Finland has a conscription army with 870,000 reserves. That was probably its best deterrent.
Great guest
Great interviewee
Her comments about the leaks were pretty funny, "not a great look."
Great interview. Good guest
Great podcast and really interesting guests.
Excellent interview, excellent guest.
as a German i can only agree with her
Can I ask: on which point?
@@xtrajently Where there's no will there's no way undoubtedly.
Agree with what? Germany should let Ukraine fail?
Wow. She is really good!
good video
Sholtz is a manager, not a leader. The latter has vision. The former doesn't see any use for it.
Technocrat.
100% I totally agree
If the particular systems had been delivered and in a reasonable time frame it would have made a significant difference.
I very much enjoyed this interview! Ulrike was insightful and her views appreciated by this Chicagoan. The best to both of you! 💙💛
Germans need to think positively about this. They can get East Prussia back at the end of this.
They are now like France were in WW2
Traumatised by the previous war, and no stomach for a new one.
Interesting.
I really like this channel and have been happily subscribed for some time.. The interview questions are excellent; the guests are superb--and this one is no exception. Just wonderful. However, the hair isn’t working.
They need to not think so much about what the budget priblems will be like in 5 years. The situation will in the world will be different in one way or another. The spending may no longer be needed, or its need may be so obvious that the funding won't be dufficult ti secure. Its the later situatuion that they need to prepare for. A peacetime millitary is by definition a hedge against the future sutuation deteriorating.
To be honest we haven't sent much.
Wtf?
@@christianiffland3729if you break it down to the number of people in a country it's quite lame in comparison to for example the baltic states.
@@gzoechi
There is a magic word called "Bundeshaushalt". ;) ;)
The results of contraception and smaller families are now coming home to roost
we need both to keep living well on this planet, which is not inexhaustible....
France give it to Ukraine scalps and that big issue for Putin
Amazing how well so many Germans speak ... I can't tell which of the two is German or not !
Listen to the "ja". Sounds a bit like Dutch.
As a former English Language trainer in German Industry, I can often detect a non-native speaker when they mispronounce voiced consonants e.g. a "v" is pronounced as an "f", a "d" as a "t", and the voiced "s", particularly at the end of a word, is pronounced as" ss" instead of "z". Although Ulrike's English is excellent, this, along with some of her vowel sounds, demonstrate to me that she is not a native speaker of English.
Ah. I only know her from "Sicherheitshalber"-podcast till now. Her English is quite good.
Mr. Scholtz declared that Taurus needs to be manned and serviced by German soldiers. The Spanish and the South Korean armies are equipped with Taurus. Does anyone believe that German soldiers are based in Spain and South Korea ???
This countries obviously were proactive in the purchase and qualifying their own troops. So. Korea got their 1st Taurus missiles in 2018, as an example
A introduction of mandatory muster and military service before people goes to University will help solve many issues as a general sense of patriotism and the self defense determination will increase. The hesitation, sluggish bureaucracy and everything like that is an effect of a lack of confidence in capacity. Once people have gone trough military service there's a larger chance they will seek military career as well. It will most likely also solve some other issues related to immigrant integration and so on as military service have a tendency of creating comradely.
I think she is right.
IN THE US.
WE JUST DIAL DOWN THE 12:39 ECONOMY IF WE NEED "VOLUNTEERS" FOR THE ARMED FORCES, WORKS EVERY
TIME.
NICE GUEST, THANK YOU 🔱⭐.
Why does Germany have such animosity to Australia that it refuses to engage in a reliable supply of LNG?
They don't.
The green party hates anything that isn't solar or wind, have forced the shutdown of nuclear plants, blocked new gas all meaning the coal keeps getting used more and more in aging plants.
German left is a bit nuts...
I think Germany literally doesn't have as many Taurus missiles as they say they have. There is something going on behind the scenes with this weapon. There is some reason beyond what they have been saying. I think they literally CAN'T supply it.
I agree, there's definitely something fishy about it.
As a german i am totally ashamed for our chancellor. We can only guess for 2 years now why he is blocking everything. maybe half of the spd is being blackmailed by russia somehow.
Another conspiracy? When you have no idea about a topic or can't argue, just shut up. This kind of comment is the bane of the web.
The trouble Germany has is that Olaf has a heart as big as a PEA.
Wasn't Vladimir Putin stationed in Germany during his KGB days?
Dresden. He spied on students there.
@@stephenhill545 sounds bout right
The rushist empire is starting to crumble
Is Taurus powered by green energy
Our military might in the west is the only an effective deterrent when adversaries aren’t sure if we will use it. Preferably they are confident that we will use it with little provocation.
If we are constantly being the “de-escalator”. Are constantly advocating for self imposed limitations on our actions. Are only wanting to be proportionate.
That assures enemies that we wont do anything significant in response..which in turn encourages more violence.
A sudden, unpredictable, overly-zealous response that is absolutely devastating. That would reset our adversaries calculus. It would posture us correctly as a force to be wary of, or suffer catastrophic consequences.
But we’re still just wringing our hands about escalation while watching our adversaries consistently get more bold and broaden their ambitions. That is directly our fault. Its our fault that we dont keep our deterrence from a political will. Because we have the weapons..but they are held at bay because some asshat spent some money to target an audience on TikTok and now we are protesting against ourselves in the streets.
For very long time, European leaders, let Putin bin them, and they was pissing in the pants when they hear Putin and saying about red lines, and all that they’ve been so predictable for Putin and he read them as an open book and that’s make his strategic planing very easy.
Yes Germany must be more assertive given that it is the 3rd largest economy. Schultz comes across as weak and rudderless, regrettably for Europe's most powerful economy.
He stood as Merkel 2.0
It is absolutely irrational to sit in Germany’s chair and pretend that your nation isn’t in Russia’s crosshairs regardless of whatever your actions are or aren’t.
Risks of escalation = being in denial of reality.
Get ready to fight for your lives. That’s reality. Thats the reality of the western world whether we would choose it or not. Because it isn’t our choice. Its the other nations choice.
In WWII, when Germany was aggressively expanding. Was it the Allies choice to go to war?
Did it help them to pretend its some ancillary conflict in poland? In czecholslavakia? In France?
Nope. It was inevitable. Thats now. Buckle up buttercup. Its time to arm up.
Why did they purchase F35?
Probably discuss with Russia if you both could change the Defence Minister.
You know both land have almost same budget before the invasion.
Russia could maintain the nuclear weapons, yearly update 2 or 3 Tu160, get 3-4 new frigates, about 10-15 new fighting jets, 150 new tanks, and at the same time build big houses for himself and other high range officials.
Germany could not maintain 150 tanks and fighting jets with same budget.
Something is wrong……😂😂😂
NATO is in a similar state as the Allies were in the 30's.
NO.
We in Germany and everywhere in the EU should take in consideration that Trump will win the next election in the US and he will not support NATO anymore. So we have to spend much more efforts (money and resources) into our military. We should not expect that the US army will protect us and this also not fair towards the American people. The European countries should be ready to protect their own countries and support Ukraine to win this war. Our government in Germany should start to speak very clear to our people that we have to get ready to fight in a war against russia. Nobody wants to go in a war but if we are prepared then it will not happen.
Good perspective. I do think that-even if Trump wins-there will be US support for NATO, but it could be very different from the past; logistics, intelligence, naval, this kind of things. But combat troops on the ground would be lighter I think.
You are correct.
I ran into a neighbor today, at our mailbox, out on the County road; she was complaining about a $50 charge from a STATE government agency, then bled straight over to "I'm going to have to vote for Trump because he cut so much bureaucracy during his term" I was shocked that she is so blind to his crimes, his chaos creation, his crimes, she still support s him.
I really had no response to her though I wouldn't mind sitting down with her to discuss some time. She must have heard something on Fox News this morning is my guess.
Murdoch and Fox News are mainlining Russian active measures into America's fat vein.
❤❤❤❤❤ 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 ❤❤❤❤
The debates will stop if the Russians breakthrough!!!
Ukraine needs both quality and quantity. Yes, advanced weapons are great, but basic artillery and mortar ammunition are critical. In comparison of your daily needs; Taurus missiles are stakes; artillery and mortar ammunition is the air you breath.
Germany have a chance to finally be on the good side but refuses to do this. I think they owe this to everyone in Europe after destroying it twice before. To be honest the deals they made with Russia are one of the reasons we are in this situation now, so i demand some serious actions to repair the damage they made.
@user-nx3zm3ln7m
Twice?
WW1 was not our fault.
@@skepticonyoutube1897 Your Kaiser was desperate for a war, to make up for his inadequacies.
Mate, when it is the wrong side just being more peaceful, not sure, if you are not misinterpreting things very wrong
To be fair in WW1 it was the failing Austro-Hungarian Empire that actually fire started that nasty conflict, the Militant Prussian German Government quickly began prearranged Invasion plans for France and Russia which then dragged in their Allies and a World War began.
@@Columbi007 Russia despise people like Scholz.For them weakness is a green light for more violce. "Being peaceful" means letting them go with all what they do and prepare for more violce in the future.
To put it bluntly, the 100 Billion Special Fund is just a Smoke Screen to notionally reach the 2 Percent Goal and postpone this Issue till after the next Election.
strangely a german institute finds that german announced amount of help is big, "over 20 years?) the brits too (talks alot, and nothing subsential on the ground) meanwhile on the ground as ukrainians receiving rusty old german materials, or too heavy useable old brit piece of rust, result? they can't use it, and the german messy institute rates it as brand new Leo2A8 prices, French never talk about what they send or only after ukrainians use it! serious european institutes rate it about twice the brit, around 6 billions (already in use oin ukraine) not wisha in years to come as germans blah blha promised
Germany is truly a dinosaur and has been for 20 years.
In relation to its GDP, Germany only spent 0.568% of its GDP (rank: 10). As a German, I am ashamed. Norway and Estonia donate considerably more of their wealth.
Important part of these numbers is, that countries like Estonia get their donations of i.e. soviet gear reimbursed via the EPF. As any EU fund it gets paid into by economy size - ergo EPF is in large parts paid by Germany and France.
This will show up as a military donation for that country while the EPF side shows as financial aid. Hence a small economy can donate relatively large percentages of its GDP while actually effectively selling their soviet gear at a premium.
The call, led by Estonia and a group of pro-Ukraine MEPs, is for NATO members to spend 0.25% of their GDP as aid to Ukraine . So, Germany's 0.57% already more than doubles that. If there are countries not pulling their weight, look at those like France, Italy, and Spain, at a much smaller fraction of 0.07% of their GDP, not to mention those mere spectators within the alliance. There's the obsession with Taurus, but in actual aid, Germany walks the walk, some countries like more to talk.
That's nothing to be ashamed of, actually. The call by Estonia and a group of pro-Ukraine MEPs is for NATO members to spend the equivalent of 0.25% of their GDP as aid to Ukraine. So, Germany's 0.57% already more than doubles that level. Among the other big economies, the US, UK, and Canada exceed that threshold too. Meanwhile, there are other big economies like France (big talker who needs to walk the walk) and Italy and Spain sending aid at a much smaller fraction of only 0.07% of their GDP.
@@mortmortannon6640 A considerable part of what they are handing over to Ukraine is actually old Swedish gear, that Sweden handed over to them after the Cold War, as part of shrinking our military..😉
Shame though has been part of the German DNA since 1914, must be used to it by now.
If Germany doesn't want to step up, the France and Poland will and likely others and leave the Germans in their own bubble of their making.
French Forces are operational around the earth, in almost every continents, as it has to protect 12 time zones for decenies the only one in Europe, so German sofa's army without real air force, navy, deterrence, accounting 60's ground old stock Leo 1 as brand new one to reach 17Billions is just hillarious😂😂 the US are lending money to run thier industry they give nothing Ukrainians will have to pay long after the war to them!
As Ulrike says, one of the big issues in decision making in the German Government is the three-party coalition. The partners are constantly fighting among themselves and often disagree on policy, which delays decisions. The first-past-the-post electoral system practiced in the UK and USA definitely has the advantage when it comes to prompt decision making.
A two-party system is marginally better than a one-party system.
The two parties are terribly divided, unable to compromise, and keep undoing the other side's achievements when they get in power. Voters tend to get tribal as well.
The American presidential election of 2024 demonstrates very clearly how you often end up voting for a candidate that you dislike less, rather than someone who actually represents you.
Decision-making may be slower in a multi-party system with a coalition government but it's the most democratic and stable model in the long run.
What about Russia's influence on German politics? it has been established they have financed far right political parties all around Europe and influenced elections in the west...
Germany has drained less developed countries of thousands of developers. Why is it still low digitalized? I don't have an answer to that..
Maybe the Poles could protect the Germans? What an irony!
Glad to see Justin Bronk doing interviews 😁🤣
Great channel, but what's up with this guy's hair? 😅
Totally agree. Slava Ukraini
Wait - the US takes out Nordsteam then Germany buys F-35's?
You are speculating, to maintain uour narrative.
This lady is trying to rationalize Scholtz's position on Taurus??? My God!!!! "The wrong man, in the wrong place at the wrong time!" A truly weak leader with very little vision of the world that he lives in. Still a child of the 1980s-1990s!!!
70s Brandt's Ostpolitik.
@@stephenhill545They believe they helped end the Cold War with diplomacy. This belief is widespread in german society and it’s just insane. Overplaying their own role, putting another fake brick in their national narrative.
Please contact Republican politicians in America to unblock aid, and politicians in Germany to lobby for Taurus, and more aid?!!
It sounds like these people live on a different planet, not on the same SUBcontinent, where a real shooting war is happening, that already drove over 6 million refugees. I almost wish they felt this war on their own skin, air alerts, explosions, power failures, the disappearance of tap water... funerals, funerals, funerals... All these petty reasons... this logic seems so foreign and so inadequate. Can't they think outside this immediate moment and try to predict the future at least for the next 3-5 years? It all will end in tears.
The book of revelation ✝️
This lady, eyes rolling everywhere as if she doesn't believe her own opinions, demonstrated German "kicking and screaming" in her defence of Scholz extremely well. Where there's no will there's no way sums it up.
0:40 I know it can't be helped, but with the way her name was pronounced (without pronouncing the e (would be pronounced similar to the sound uh)) it sounded like it was a guy's name
Excellent point! Well observed and analysed! What an important contribution to the content of the discussion! So focussed and to the point!
@@winstonwolfe340 Thank you very much. It's not that common for people to recognize the linguistic significane of pronounciation on the immediate emotional response of people and its relevance towards the cultural communication between two participants
@@Starsky3022Thank you as well. No pun intended, but I prefer to focus on the content of the interview. Do you have any thoughts on how the German Military is doing in the context of the Ukraine war? Kind regards, Winston
@@Starsky3022I think you may have missed his irony.
@@EvoraGT430I'm perfectly aware of his sarcasm, but I think it's more productive to be kind to others and explain yourself in more detail so that the underlying motivations are easier to understand
Hasn't Germany done work in the East , now and in the past . I have read this somewhere .
Dominik I think there's a spider on your head.
Way to focus on the important issues.
To be honest Germany is an embarrassment to the EU and Western world at large. Utterly shameful 😞
Hungary and Slovakia are a shame to the EU and traitors. Germany is ok but they are cowards.
@@user-nx3zm3ln7mlet’s face it, until 2022 most of Europe was content with German cowards.
Not Germany in general, but the social democrats and the ultra right and left wing parties are corrupted by Putler. Most Germans want Taurus to be sent to Ukraine! Another thing is the austerity promotet by the neoliberals. They neither want to increase taxes nor they want to spend money by issuing German state bonds. Strangely the only party that is not acting like this is the Green Party, that is why they are attacked from all directions from the right and left and the Putin propaganda.
Though all my German Relatives abhor pootins invasion of Ukraine they all support full aid to the UA Heroes as do my Russian relatives too though they have to be careful with their public opinions.
Bullshit
If they would look back at why Napoleon succeeded (twice) and Hitler succeeded, they would see their error but it seems looking at history is still too painful for Germans.
Z-trolls are really nonsensical and boring.
Can she be more consice?
You are not doing yourself any favours with that haircut.
Just absolutely useless no point in germany oh cars ???
Deutschland erwachen
when germany sent over those helmets it did make me laugh. I thought! This must be a joke! Thanks germany! My home was bombed due to your incompetence.
helmets had been on the list and germany was not allowed to expedit arms into conflict zones that time (by law). also they have sent a mobile hospital and other goods...just that Lamprecht had been another poor figure just put into place to fulfill parity in gender of the offices....
It is tragic that the right chancellor for this time has not been voted because being too progressive for baby-boomer-germany and totally demolished by lobbyists prior to election.
Maybe if the greens had skipped the female agenda for one time the situation for ukraine would have been far better now. Habeck would have been a better chancellor than Scholz as proven by his reactions to the situation of ukraine even prior to invasion as well as other occasions. He delivered the speeches that were necessary when the cancellor just went idle.
And that way he might have been less troubled in the economic ministry - a minefiled for progressive powers in a backward thinking society.
As always things are playing into the cards of thugs like putin....
Next year when Scholz might be history (or not because of the current backdoor apeasement policy prepared with Mützenich's speech) if not the public opinion turns back to proper support for ukraine it might be too late anyways....
I am very disillusioned at the moment that we can turn the table here and improve the situation of ukraine. To many chances for bold moves and decisive tools when they were needed had been just goofily dodged.
It is a shame and a tragic misinterpretation fo the role of a post-war germany and its responsibility.
so basically sholz is just one of putins muppets.....
At least he is more of a help for Putin than for anyone else.
You might at least learn to pronounce her name.
Ulrike
Ulrike Franke. Who ? Did she serve in the military ? Is she prepared to die for her country ?
Germany has woked themselves into ungodliness,and God punishes the ungodly .
God hates believers, that is why the atheists have better lives.
Stop stalking God and take care of your own business: God in not your mummy, understand?
Why would Germany arm the country which attacked it's pipeline?
Why did it accept these pipelines to begin with?
@@worfoz Because Russia is a friend of Germany.
The Ukraine war is a Russia vs US struggle.
Why didn't the US provide thousands of cruise missiles and hundreds of F16?
The US spent much more weapons against Iraq.
The decadence of the US willingness to enforce its imperial rule is the big thing of this war.
@@Bvic3it’s a war of Russia against Ukraine, not the USA.
If Russia was fighting the USA, they would have been destroyed 2 years ago by the USAF.
No, this war is about international law, territorial integrity and respect for other nation’s sovereignty in Europe. And that makes it our war.
In other words: if Putin is allowed to get away with annexing parts of his neighbor, what is stopping Poland or Germany from trying to retake Kaliningrad? Erdogan from retaking the old Ottoman province of Greece? Hungary from fighting for the regions they lost after WW1?
That is a serious and long-term threat to the safety and security and financial health of all European states
@@Bvic3what do you have in common with Russia? I thought you were a model democracy.
180,000 to defend 81 million is far to small.
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