German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should "put his foot down" in the dispute over funding of the armed forces, according to the chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, Colonel André Wüstner.
"If our government does not want phrases such as defence capability, protection or military capability to be mere empty words, chancellor Scholz must exercise his authority to issue directives and put his foot down," Wüstner told dpa in Berlin.
If he fails to do so, the so-called "Zeitenwende," or turning point, must be declared over, at least for the armed forces, the colonel added.
Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Scholz coined the term "Zeitenwende" to announce a turning point in Germany's defence policy.
The German government pledged that it would invest 2% of its total economic output into the military for the first time in decades - a long-held NATO target - and announced a €100 billion ($107 billion) special defence fund for this purpose.
Specifically, Wüstner warned that the German defence industry would not be able to continue the urgently needed expansion of its capacities if the spending of the funds was determined by the end of this year without the future course being clear.
According to the Defence Ministry, around 80% of the special fund is currently "committed" - referring to binding decisions such as contracts, binding orders and political decisions. By the end of this year, 100% of the fund will be committed in this way.
The special fund is expected to last until 2027.
