Ukraine war drives German arms exports to new record

Permits issued by the German government for the export of arms and military equipment have reached a new record in 2024, according to figures made available to dpa.

Last year, the German government approved exports of weapons and military equipment worth a record €13.33 billion ($13.8 billion), the Economy Ministry said.

The information is based on a response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by a lawmaker from the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).

The record can largely be attributed to exports to Ukraine, with €8.15 billion approved for Kiev.

This was followed by Singapore with €1.21 billion, Algeria with €558.7 million, the US with €319.9 million, and Turkey with €230.8 million.

German armaments deliveries to Turkey, a NATO member, have been controversial in recent years due to concerns about human rights conditions in Turkey and some of the Turkish government's international actions.

The information request came from Sevim Dagdelen, who sits in the Bundestag for the upstart BSW party. The party, which split from the far-left The Left party last year, is led by Sahra Wagenknecht, who has characterized its political ideology as "left conservatism."

In its coalition talks at the end of 2021, the ruling centre-left coalition agreed to restrict arms exports and to introduce legislation to this end, but the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a radical policy shift.

Dagdelen expressed sharp criticism of the continuing rise, saying the government was fuelling conflicts around the world.