German soldiers' group says lessons must be learned from Ukraine

The chairman of the German Armed Forces Association (DBwV), André Wüstner, has called for lessons to be learned from Russia's war in Ukraine, reported dpa.

Wüstner told the WDR 5 radio station on Tuesday that Germany's politicians have so far done too little to combat the "disastrous state" of Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr.

He spoke of a wide range of short-comings, including in weapons systems and supplies of ammunition.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius recently said that Germany was not currently defensible, and that the country "cannot go on like this."

Wüstner separately told the Bayern 2 radio station that the government was still partly acting "in the mode of the time before the war in Ukraine."

He said he was happy and looking ahead with confidence because with Pistorius, Germany now had a defence minister "who is impatient, who addresses things and also clearly explains in the cCabinet why he not only needs more money, but why he also needs different laws," Wüstner told WDR 5.

The DBwV represents the interests of all active and former soldiers and employees of the Bundeswehr, their family members and surviving dependents. It has around 200,000 members.

The parliamentary defence commissioner, Eva Högl, plans to present her annual report for 2022 on Tuesday.

According to Article 45b of Germany's Basic Law, the defence commissioner helps the Bundestag with parliamentary control of the armed forces. but she is also regarded as an advocate for the soldiers, who can turn to her at any time.