Latest news with #Scholz
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Germany vows to step up militarily but rhetoric may struggle to match reality
Within days of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Olaf Scholz announced a Zeitenwende, or historical 'turning point'. The then German chancellor promised a security transformation by increasing defence spending, sending more aid to Ukraine, taking a tougher approach to authoritarian states and rapidly reducing Germany's dependence on Russian energy. It was a psychological turning point for a country haunted by its Nazi past but now expected to step up – as the biggest economic power in Europe – to a threat to the continent. However, two years later, the German Council on Foreign Relations published a report saying Scholz's transformation had yet 'to deliver meaningful change'. So with a new chancellor, can Zeitenwende be for real this time? There is no lack of action, or rhetoric. Since taking office three weeks ago, Friedrich Merz has vowed Germany will have the strongest conventional army in Europe, hosted the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Berlin and visited Kyiv, and attended the unveiling of German troops in Lithuania, the first permanent stationing of German troops on foreign soil since the second world war. Critically, he released the debt brake, so unleashing badly needed spending on the Bundeswehr, Germany's military. In his opening speech as chancellor he promised to provide all necessary financial resources for this. Germany's allies expect this, Merz said in his government statement, 'indeed, they practically demand it'. He announced his intention to transform Germany from a 'dormant to a leading middle power'. He has already slipped easily into that role. In Lithuania he said 'the protection of Vilnius is the protection of Berlin. And our common freedom does not end at a geopolitical line – it ends where we stop defending it'. This from a country that as recently as 2011 saw its federal president resign under criticism for suggesting military action might be necessary in an emergency to 'protect our interests'. But not everything is going smoothly. On Monday, Merz had announced there were no longer any restrictions on the weapons supplied to Ukraine by Britain, France, Germany and the US, and that Ukraine could now do 'long-range fire'. The implication was that Germany's prized 500km-range Taurus missiles was to be finally made available, as indeed Merz had vowed while in opposition. This meant Moscow was vulnerable to these bunker-busting bombs, as were Crimea's strategic bridges. A response from Moscow was immediate. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said: 'To hear from the current German leader that Germany will regain its position as the leading military power in Europe just after we celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Hitler's anniversary is quite symptomatic. History apparently teaches these people nothing.' The former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has reminded the world of the Nazi past of Merz's father, and warned yet again of the threat of world war three. The reality of what Merz is offering Ukraine is somewhat more complex, as is what he can do to meet Nato's wider demands of an expanding German army. The day after his 'no limits' commitment he was forced to qualify his statement by saying this had been the case for a long time, and then prevaricating on whether he would meet his opposition pledge to supply Taurus. The strong suspicion is that the finance minister, Lars Klingbeil, of the Social Democratic party – Merz's coalition partners – blocked Merz. The episode was reminiscent of the paralysis that disfigured the previous coalition government. It may also be in office that Merz has been made more aware of complexities including the need for Ukrainians to have six months' training on their use, and the implications of the German soldiers giving training inside Ukraine. The government has now retreated to a position of strategic ambiguity on what he will do, and focused on offering Ukraine a partnership to jointly build missiles. Merz's allies said the episode was not entirely futile. Thomas Röwekamp, of the Christian Democratic Union, who is chair of the Bundestag's defence committee, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that by rejecting range limitations, Merz had 'removed one argument preventing the Taurus from being delivered'. This is not yet a 'commitment' to the delivery of Taurus but the reason for the previous refusal had been 'removed'. The wider risk for Merz is that his rhetoric does not match the reality of what he can deliver, and rebuilding a German army after decades of neglect will take many years. For instance in 2021, Germany agreed by 2030 to provide 10 brigades to Nato – units usually comprising about 5,000 troops. It currently has eight brigades and is building up the ninth in Lithuania to be ready from 2027. Overall, it has approximately 182,000 soldiers serving in the force, plus, according to the defence minister, Boris Pistorius, 60,000 available reservists. By comparison, during the cold war up to 500,000 soldiers served in the Bundeswehr, which had access to about 800,000 reservists. By 2031, the number of active soldiers is to grow to 203,000. Still, however long it takes, and whatever the missteps, Germany's partners have already mentally adjusted to the return of Germany as the premier military force in Europe.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany is finally ready to face Putin
Three years, three months and two days ago, Olaf Scholz declared that Germany would undergo a historic 'Zeitenwende' – or 'changing of the times', pivoting its attitude towards Russia and its own defence and security. Scholz flopped on his promise, but it seems that Germany's new chancellor Friedrich Merz is determined to deliver where his predecessor failed and finally square up to Russia. For the first time, Merz hosted Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin yesterday. Building on their meeting alongside other European leaders earlier in the month, Merz announced a new €5 billion (£4.2 billion) aid package for Ukraine. The chancellor agreed to finance a portion of Ukraine's Starlink satellite coverage, so crucial for secure communication by Kyiv's troops along the front line, and provide additional materiel and logistical support. Germany would also support Ukraine in other ways, including new sanctions on Russia and making sure the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would 'never be used again'. The star item of Merz's package, however, was a commitment that Germany will finance the production of long-range missiles on Ukrainian soil. Berlin will invest directly into the Ukrainian arms industry, providing a much-needed boost to the country's industry to help its ability to supply itself with weapons quickly, rather than simply waiting for western donations. Announcing the joint missile development project, Merz added pointedly: 'There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory.' In other words, Berlin won't stand in the way of Zelensky wanting to use these weapons – which will most likely have a range of over 150 miles – to strike deep into Russian territory. According to the German ministry of defence, they will start to filter through to the front line in a matter of weeks. Merz's new package for Ukraine came two days after the chancellor sparked a great deal of confusion by declaring that there were 'no longer any restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine'. Thanks to Scholz's reticence about triggering an escalation in the conflict with Russia, Germany had never donated long-range missiles to Ukraine, so it was unclear why Berlin would have a say over how those which had been used. Tellingly, on Monday he added: 'A country that can only counter an aggressor on its own territory is not adequately defending itself.' Now, in light of yesterday's announcement, this makes a lot more sense. It is clear that Merz is more comfortable than Scholz with taking a more confrontational line with Putin. In the first week of his chancellorship, he issued an order for the defence ministry to stop publishing lists of the weapons being sent to Ukraine to avoid giving the Kremlin an insight into Kyiv's arsenal. This policy of 'strategic ambiguity' for Ukraine suggests Merz wants to make good on his promise to make Germany a European bulwark against Russia. Thanks to his tough talk on defence for Ukraine, there is now, however, one promise that Merz is under pressure to keep: giving Kyiv Taurus missiles. With a range of 300 miles, they would, in theory, allow Ukrainian troops to strike as far as Moscow. Just last month, Merz reaffirmed his pledge to do just this – but only 'in agreement with European partners'. Germany has already, for many years, been Ukraine's largest European aid donor. But, to engineer a fair end to the war for Ukraine, and defend the continent's security interests, it is now up to Merz to shed the nerves of Berlin's previous administration and stand strong against Russia. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Merz keeps Putin guessing over Germany's missile masterplan
Friedrich Merz's refusal to confirm or deny whether he is sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine will keep Vladimir Putin guessing – but it has other advantages for Germany's canny new Chancellor. Mr Merz welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to Berlin on Wednesday for the first time since his victory in February's German elections. On the campaign trail, he had lambasted Olaf Scholz, the former chancellor, for refusing to send long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. Now in office, and alongside the Ukrainian president, he would not be drawn on the subject. On Wednesday, he instead announced that Germany would support Ukraine in developing its own long-range missile systems in a significant upgrade to Kyiv's Neptune weapons. Under the cover of that headline-grabbing moment, Mr Merz was executing some nimble political footwork. Mr Scholz ruled out sending Taurus missiles because he feared it risked the war in Ukraine escalating into one with the wider West. For Putin, this was confirmation that he didn't have to worry about the missiles, and of Europe's fracturing resolve. Mr Merz's missile omerta keeps Putin pondering at a time when Russia wants to take as much territory as possible before mooted peace talks, but it also shows he is determined not to make the same mistakes as his hapless predecessor. Germany, under Mr Scholz, was sending more weapons to Ukraine than any other European country. But his refusal to send Taurus entrenched the impression that Berlin was at best a reluctant partner of Kyiv. Mr Scholz's ham-fisted response was to order the publication of lists of what weapons Germany was sending to Ukraine. He then used the lists to criticise European allies like France for not doing more, undermining the united front against Putin. Mr Merz has already ditched the lists. There is nothing new about his embrace of 'strategic ambiguity'. Britain and France opted to keep the donations of their Storm Shadow and Scalp-EG cruise missiles a secret, with announcements only made after the projectiles had been used by Ukraine's air force in bombing raids. A similar strategy was used when decisions were taken to allow Kyiv to strike military targets inside Russia with the missiles. Thanks to such precedents from his allies in the 'coalition of the willing', Mr Merz will be able to keep his silence. He can also point to the fact that Europe's hawks are pleased. Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania's former foreign minister, said his announcements brought hope that Germany had taken the right direction on the 'crossroads of history' and 'that the stick he promised is going to be used'. Mr Zelensky did not say whether he had received Taurus. 'We need sufficient long-range capabilities. That is why we must be confident in the financing of our army and the resilience of Ukraine,' he said. 'Germany can support us in all of this.' Taurus is less important militarily than Ukraine's domestically produced drones and missiles, which cover the vast majority of Russian targets on the battlefield. It is more useful for striking heavily fortified and underground targets and is now more important symbolically than militarily. It also probably means more politically in Germany than it does in Ukraine. Mr Scholz was brought down by endless infighting in his dysfunctional coalition government, which collapsed in November. His refusal to send Taurus was meant to appease dove-ish elements in his SPD, which is now junior coalition partner to Mr Merz's Christian Democrats. Mr Merz comfortably won February's elections, but the scale of his victory was not so commanding as to mean he can afford to ignore his allies in government or their concerns. Yet more coalition infighting would play badly with German voters already suspicious that the Merz government is not as strong or united as it promised to be. The truth is that his CDU is also divided over Ukraine policy, as is Germany as a whole. The pro-Putin and far-Right Alternative for Germany came second in the elections, and is now the main opposition, while hard-Left anti-Nato appeasement parties also performed well. Moscow continues to play on German fears of a Russian invasion. Its propagandists are already spinning that Russia will strike Berlin if Taurus is used against Russia. But Mr Merz's strategic ambiguity allows him to support Ukraine in its battle, while dodging a damaging fight at home. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Zelensky Is Expected in Berlin as Merz Steps Forward as Key Backer of Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is expected to travel to Berlin on Wednesday in his first visit to Germany since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office earlier this month. The visit comes at a crucial moment in the German-Ukrainian relationship. With doubts looming about the future of America's commitment to Kyiv, Mr. Merz has stepped forward as a leading figure in the European alliance supporting Ukraine. That has meant eschewing the cautious stance of his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, even as he faces opposition from within his governing coalition on expanding German military support. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it took over a year for Mr. Scholz to invite Mr. Zelensky to Berlin. Though the Ukrainian leader has not been to Berlin since October, the one-day visit will be his third meeting with Mr. Merz since the chancellor took office on May 6. What are the leaders likely to discuss? A major topic of conversation will likely be military aid in general and, specifically, the Taurus cruise missile, a system jointly developed by Germany and Sweden. The large size, advanced navigation system and 310-mile range of the Taurus means it can accurately deliver bigger strikes deeper into Russian territory than other missiles in Ukraine's arsenal. The Taurus has long been at the top of Mr. Zelensky's wish list. Though Britain and France already provide Ukraine with their jointly developed SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missile, the Taurus would be able to strike as far as bridges connecting the Crimean Peninsula to mainland Russia. Germany has provided or committed about $32 billion in total military assistance to Ukraine, including weapons and materiel drawn from German military's stocks, and training for approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the German government. What has been Mr. Merz's stance on the Taurus? The previous government, led by Mr. Scholz, a Social Democrat, refused to provide the Taurus to Ukraine, fearing it would escalate the conflict. Mr. Merz repeatedly criticized that stance last fall, and during the election campaign earlier this year, he said that he would reverse it. At one point he suggested Mr. Scholz give an ultimatum to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, saying that as chancellor he would send Taurus missiles if Russia did not stop bombing civilians, though he later walked that back. In an interview in April, before Mr. Merz took office, Mr. Zelensky expressed optimism that the incoming government would reverse course. 'We will work on it,' he said. 'It's a little bit more than hope.' What has he said since becoming chancellor? Since taking office, Mr. Merz has been vague about whether he would send the missile to Ukraine. In his inaugural speech to Parliament, he hinted that he would expand the delivery of weapons and also said Germany would no longer publicly specify which weapons were being provided to maintain a level of ambiguity designed to help Ukrainian war efforts. In an interview with the German broadcaster ZDF on May 15, he said that the Taurus was 'not in the cards at the moment.' When Mr. Merz said Monday that Germany would no longer place range restrictions on the weapons it sends to Ukraine, the question about Taurus deliveries came up immediately. 'There are no more range limitations for weapons delivered to Ukraine,' he told an audience at a political conference in Berlin on Monday. 'Neither from the British, nor the French, nor from us. Not from the Americans, either.' But as he noted on Tuesday, those restrictions had been lifted months ago. And given that the kinds of weapons Germany has delivered so far do not generally exceed a working range of under 50 miles, the decision to lift limits has not changed the course of the war. 'Germany is currently not supplying any relevant long-range weapon systems,' said Roderich Kiesewetter, a former German Army colonel who is now a member of parliament in Mr. Merz's party. 'To create the desired strategic ambiguity, we should therefore send an initial, albeit insufficient, signal by starting the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the system.' How has the missile been an issue in Germany? Mr. Merz has faced significant pushback from members of the Social Democrats, the center-left party that governs in a coalition with Mr. Merz's conservative Christian Democrats. And behind closed doors, even some members of Mr. Merz's party are hesitant about sending the system to Ukraine. After Mr. Merz's inaugural speech to Parliament, members of the Social Democrats reiterated their opposition to the Taurus. 'We do not want to become a party to the war, and so we have always rejected the Taurus shipment,' said Matthias Miersch, the leader of Social Democratic lawmakers in Parliament. 'That remains our position.' The party had even written their opposition to sending the weapons system in the official program it used to campaign for February's vote. Lars Klingbeil, the finance minister and a leading Social Democrat, said Monday that Mr. Merz's comments did not represent a new policy, implying that his party had not shifted its position on not providing the weapon.
Local Germany
26-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Visa rejections by Germany cost Indian applicants €1.3 million last year
A recent report by Conde Nast Traveller found that more than 165,000 applications for Schengen visas submitted by Indian citizens were rejected in 2024. According to the report , this amounts to more than €14 million in application fees for rejected visas across the Schengen zone. With 15,806 reported rejections of Indian Schengen visa applicants, Germany issued the third most rejections after France (31,314) and Switzerland (26,126). In total, the amount of fees paid to Germany for applications that were ultimately rejected amounted to approximately €1.3 million -- based on an average application cost of €85 for Indian passport holders in 2024. At the beginning of 2024 the standard Schengen visa fee for adults was €80. It was updated to €90 in mid-June 2024. After Germany, Spain and the Netherlands both rejected nearly as many Indian visa applicants, with 15,105 and 14,569 rejections respectively. Which nationalities faced the most rejections? Visa applicants from Algeria racked up the most rejected applications in 2024, followed by those from Turkey. India had the third highest number of rejections, followed by Morocco and then China. According to the Economic Times , a relatively high rate of rejections, and the associated financial losses, have raised concerns among travellers. READ ALSO: 'Germany needs you' - Labour Minister's plea to skilled workers from India Contesting rejections is set to get harder for travellers applying to Germany These figures come following a recent announcement that Germany will scrap its remonstration process for rejected visas as of July 1st this year. Until now, visa applicants who faced rejections could submit a remonstrance letter to ask that their application be reviewed again, sometimes with additional documentation or explanations provided. Advertisement But from July 1st, German embassies wont support the remonstration process -- meaning rejected visa applicants will only be able to challenge rejections in court. Alternatively, applicants can opt to submit another visa application for review, but this would of course come at the cost of one more application fee. It seems likely that the procedural change will ultimately amount to a higher number of rejections and potentially also to more visa application fees collected. Visa refusals have knock-on impacts on tourism, business exchanges, and academic opportunities for Indians in Germany. READ ALSO: Modi announces more German visas for Indians as Scholz visits 'Won't give up my passport' - Why Indians in Germany face hurdles to citizenship
