The new German government is radically changing its approach to communicating military aid to Ukraine. According to Spiegel, instead of openly and regularly publishing lists of weapons supplied, the Bundeswehr will significantly limit public reports on the amount and types of weapons Ukraine receives in the future.
The decision was made after the change in the federal government. The full list of deliveries was last updated on 6 May, the day the new cabinet took office. In previous practice, all information about military aid was available on the Bundeswehr’s website: for example, it was stated that Germany had transferred 121 Leopard tanks, 25 self-propelled howitzers, more than a thousand attack drones and about half a million pieces of artillery ammunition to Ukraine.
“Scholz’s government sought to show that Germany is the second largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the United States,” the Spiegel article says.
However, the new government is relying on confidentiality. It is not yet known how the Bundestag will be informed about the supply in the future, but it is likely that such reports will take place at closed meetings of the defence committee.
This move is particularly noteworthy amid uncertainty over the possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, which have been much discussed by new Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the election campaign, he stated that he supported the provision of weapons to Ukraine, but only in coordination with partners such as the UK or France.
