Russia accuses Germany of risking European security by ‘Remilitarising’

Russia has accused Germany of disrupting European security by “remilitarizing,” as Berlin increases military spending in reaction to Moscow’s incursion.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed in comments published in German newspapers this week that Berlin will soon have the largest conventional army among NATO’s European members.

“We perceive the statement of the German Chancellor as yet another confirmation that Berlin has set a course for an accelerated remilitarization of the country. How could this end? Alas, this is well known from history,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Scholz pledged in February to sharply increase defence spending and inject 100 billion euros ($107bn) into Germany’s armed forces, marking a major policy shift for the military after decades of attrition following the end of the Cold War. Lawmakers were expected to vote on the spending plan on Friday.

“At a time when it is necessary to look for opportunities to reduce common threats, Germany, on the contrary, takes the path of escalating the military-political situation on the European continent, directing tens of billions of euros to increase the critical mass of weapons,” Zakharova said.

Source: aljazeera.com