Wars and Times in Europe Rolf Mutzenich The invasion of Ukraine changed Europe's role in the world. This change is evident in Germany, where foreign and security policy has undergone a major overhaul. Wars and Times in Europe The year will go down in European history as a clear turning point, perhaps even an epoch-making breakthrough. Russia's war offensive against Ukraine, which began on February 24, marked the beginning of a profound paradigm shift in the security and peace order in Europe, and perhaps in the world and economic order as well.
Just 30 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the signing of the Paris Charter, Europe finds itself facing the ruins of what Mikhail Gorbachev called a "common home" and European ideas of cooperation and collective security job email list associated with it. Vladimir Putin's invasion questions many previous certainties and assumptions. The war dramatically changed Germany's role and expectations in Europe and the world. The reality of this change is demonstrated by the "change of times" referred to by Chancellor Olaf Schultz in his speech to the Bundestag on February 27.
Therefore, from now on, the Federal Republic of Germany will invest in the defense sector, which amounts to 2% of its GDP. There will also be a constitutionally protected "special fund for the armed forces" totalling 100 billion euros. The German government is supplying weapons for Ukraine's self-defense and has announced that it will remain committed to the European Joint Arms Program. The scale of these measures clearly shows that we are facing a profound paradigm shift in German foreign and security policy.