Germany hits record high of arms exports as second biggest donor for Ukraine

By Mario Blokken

A report published last weekend by the German Economy Ministry showed that Germany's arms exports have surged in the first half of 2024, reaching EUR 7.48 billion (USD 8.01 billion), representing a 30% increase compared to the same period last year.

 

This spike is a significant change considering how prudent the country has historically been regarding defence spending (both providing weapons and developing a strong defence industry) and the expansion of domestic military procurement.

This uptick is largely due to the increase in sales to Ukraine, to which Germany has supplied a substantial amount of military aid since Russia’s invasion. Ukraine alone accounts for nearly two-thirds of these exports.

Despite the initial pledge made by the ruling coalition (SDP, Greens and FDP) led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to limit arms exports, the German government has been compelled to loosen restrictions on German arms exports and approve more licences given that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started only months after this initial promise made in 2021.

 

 

The total arms sales for 2023 had already set a record at EUR 12.2 billion, driven by Germany’s commitments to deliver both air defence systems and heavy artillery to Ukraine. This makes Berlin the second biggest donor for Ukraine, second only to the United States. This trend is expected to continue, potentially breaking last year’s record by the end of 2024.

Germany has also resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia after easing previous restrictions. This change follows a hiatus imposed due to concerns over human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and the country’s involvement in both the civil war in Yemen and the murder of Saudi Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Other destinations of German weapons include Singapore, India, Qatar, Greece, Brazil and the UAE. Critics within Germany, particularly leftist politicians, have condemned these exports, defining them as “irresponsible”, arguing they contradict the government’s earlier promises and could escalate regional conflicts.

Mario Blokken is Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Finabel – European Army Interoperability Centre.

 

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