The Defense Ministry in Berlin couldn’t say how many of the deals have been implemented, according to the outlet
Germany has signed €111 billion ($130 billion) worth of weapons contracts since 2022. However, its Defense Ministry cannot say how many have actually been delivered or put into service, Der Spiegel has reported.
In February 2022, then Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict by declaring a so-called ‘Zeitenwende’ (a “turning point”) and unveiling a €100 billion plan to modernize the German armed forces by 2028. Berlin has also been a key backer of Kiev, providing the government of Vladimir Zelensky with €44 billion ($52 billion) in military and financial aid during the conflict with Russia.
Der Spiegel reported on Sunday, citing Defense Ministry data, that some 47,000 procurement contracts have been signed since Scholz’s declaration. The figure was released in response to an inquiry by a politician from The Left party, Dietmar Bartsch, it added.
The ministry declined to say how many of the contracts had been completed or how much of the equipment had been delivered as of March 1, 2026, the outlet said.
“An automated, centralized evaluation of all procurement projects in line with the request is not possible,” it said in its response.
Collecting such data manually would be too costly and time-consuming, which “could lead to delays in defense-related projects,” the ministry claimed.
Bartsch criticized the response, saying that “more than 47,000 arms contracts in four years, worth around €111 billion – that’s over 30 contracts per day.”
The fact that the Defense Ministry didn’t release those figures on its own and that it “can’t even quantify how many projects have actually been completed and put into service is a warning sign,” he argued.
The lack of oversight increases the risk that billions in taxpayer money or loans could be wasted on delayed or unsuitable projects, Bartsch stressed.
Germany has been investing heavily in its military despite the country’s economy continuing to deteriorate. Earlier this week, Economy Minister Katherina Reiche cut the previous growth forecast for this year in half, saying that GDP is expected to rise just 0.5%.
Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned about the “danger of EU militarization,” which is happening “very fast and frenetically.”
“The Americans are actively promoting those processes” in order to absolve themselves of the responsibility for the security on the continent and make Europeans bankroll the Ukraine conflict on their own, Lavrov said.
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