Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said at the foundation laying ceremony for the new weapons plant in Lower Saxony that Europe will need ten years to fully prepare for defence, stressing that ammunition stocks are now empty. The remarks came a day after comments by potential US presidential candidate Donald Trump sparked renewed concern in Europe, on Monday, the 12th of February, reports the BBC.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also attended the ceremony.
Rheinmetall is planning to invest more than 300 million US dollars in the new plant, which is expected to produce 200 000 artillery shells a year.
Papperger has said it would take a long time to prepare against “an aggressor who wants to challenge NATO”. He pointed out that much of Europe’s ammunition is being sent to Ukraine, depleting European stocks, but noted that “as long as we have a war, we have to help Ukraine” and predicted that
it would take at least five years, and ideally 10 years, to replenish ammunition stocks.
Chancellor Scholz refrained from commenting on Trump’s remarks to the BBC but expressed confidence in the importance of NATO in the US, Canada, and European countries. He highlighted the “imperial ambitions” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, pointing out that successfully deterring potential aggressors is needed for peace.
Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen has stressed that Europe must be prepared to act independently if the US were to cut off its support. She emphasised the urgent need to step up and accelerate European preparedness, citing Russia’s increasing aggression as proof.
Almost two years after Chancellor Scholz announced a Zeitenwende in German foreign and defence policy following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, allies have expected Germany, as Europe’s largest economy, to take a more assertive role in security and move away from traditional caution.
It has also been acknowledged that the “change through trade” policy with Russia has failed, writes the BBC.
Neither Germany nor most NATO members has reached the 2% spending target in 2023. However,
Germany is expected to meet the 2% target in 2024, mainly through a one-off fund.
Dr Claudia Major from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs has pointed out that European investment has increased since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, she stressed that in a conventional conflict Europe is currently unable to defend itself without US support. Despite progress since the Zeitenwende, she argued that more needs to be done to address the full spectrum of global security challenges.
Also read: Trump’s comments on NATO draw criticism, White House calls them “unhinged”
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