The German Armed Forces Association and the Reservist Association urged Scholz to choose the candidate with the “best leadership competence”. Importantly for Scholz, Pistorius has spoken out in favour of helping Ukraine defend itself, and expressed his scepticism earlier on in the conflict about the efficacy of sanctions against Russia. Pistorius follows on from three female defence ministers who served Germany over the past decade. Robert Habeck, the economics minister and deputy chancellor, said the new defence minister’s first and crucial decision would be regarding the issue of tanks for Ukraine. Colleagues described him on Tuesday as having a reputation among Germany’s other state interior ministers as a knowledgable expert on domestic security.

Source: The Guardian January 18, 2023 00:22 UTC