Fueled by Ukraine war, German arms exports hit new record

Fueled by Ukraine war, German arms exports hit new record

BERLIN
Fueled by Ukraine war, German arms exports hit new record

Permits issued by the German government for the export of arms and military equipment reached a new record in 2024, according to German news agency dpa.

Last year, the German government approved exports of weapons and military equipment worth a record 13.33 billion euros ($13.8 billion), the Economy Ministry said.

The information is based on a response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by a lawmaker from the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) party.

The record can largely be attributed to exports to Ukraine, with 8.15 billion euros approved for Kyiv. This was followed by Singapore with 1.21 billion euros, Algeria with 558.7 million euros, the United States with 319.9 million euros, and Türkiye with 230.8 million euros.

German armaments deliveries to NATO member Türkiye have been controversial in recent years.

The information request came from Sevim Dağdelen, who sits in the Bundestag for the upstart BSW party. The party, which split from the far-left The Left party last year, is led by Sahra Wagenknecht, who has characterized its political ideology as "left conservatism."

In its coalition talks at the end of 2021, the ruling center-left coalition agreed to restrict arms exports and to introduce legislation to this end, but the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a radical policy shift.

Dağdelen expressed sharp criticism of the continuing rise, saying the government was fueling conflicts around the world.

Germany,