Scholz announces €100b defence fund for German security

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a massive boost in defence spending on Sunday, reported dpa.

He says this will bring the nation's investments above the key 2% commitment of GDP, as the Ukraine conflict forces Berlin to rethink its foreign policy.

"We are experiencing a new era," Scholz told lawmakers at a special sitting of the Bundestag parliament in Berlin, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He said the German army would receive €100 billion euros for investments and armament projects from the federal budget.

Germany will "from now on - year after year - invest more than 2% of gross domestic product in our defence," Scholz added, addressing a long-standing bone of contention between Berlin and Washington.

Traditionally, Germany has taken a back seat on the world stage when it comes to defence, often pointing to its history as a fascist aggressor in World War II as a reason for doing so.

However, in recent years, the country has come under pressure to boost defence spending to meet the target set for NATO members, notably from former US president Donald Trump, while military officers within the country have bemoaned ageing equipment for the Bundeswehr armed forces.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday increased that pressure considerably.

"We will have to invest significantly more in the security of our country. To protect our freedom and our democracy in this way," Scholz said, calling for a "great national effort."

Berlin already reversed one of its cornerstone stances on Saturday by deciding to allow lethal weapons from Bundeswehr stocks to be sent to Ukraine. The government had previously resisted Kiev's requests for military aid as part of its refusal to send weapons to war zones.

Scholz strongly condemned Russia's attack on its neighbour, saying that the heart of the matter was about "whether we can muster the strength to set limits to warmongers like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."

He charged Putin with launching a cold-blooded war of aggression because Ukrainian freedom threatened "his own oppressive regime.

"That is inhumane. That is contrary to international law. This cannot be justified by anything or anyone."

The German leader, who succeeded Angela Merkel in December, noted that Berlin was still open to diplomacy - but spoke out against "talking for talk's sake."

Both Moscow and Kiev would need to show genuine willingness to find a diplomatic solution, Scholz said.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, watched Scholz's speech to the Bundestage from the public gallery. He was greeted by lawmakers with a minute-long applause and Joachim Gauck, a former president of Germany who was sat next to him, embraced the diplomat.

The Ukrainian flag was flying outside the Reichstag, the building where the German parliament sits.

Not far from there, protesters were preparing to demonstrate against the war in Ukraine in the latest showing of international support for Kiev.

Scholz paid tribute to those who were taking to the streets to oppose the Russian attack.

"I thank all those who are making their mark these days, against Putin's war - and who are gathering here in Berlin and elsewhere for peaceful rallies," Scholz said in the Bundestag on Sunday, while praising in particular the "great courage and true bravery" of those protesting in Russia itself.

To the people of Ukraine, he said: "Don't give up."

His remarks came as Germany's Transport Ministry confirmed that the country would close its airspace to Russian flights from 1400 GMT, for the next three months.

This follows similar announcements from a number of European nations.