Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

German government approves $2.48bn new arms sales

German government approves $2.48bn new arms sales

It took the new government in Berlin only weeks to approve arms exports worth almost as much as those greenlit by the previous cabinet over six months in 2021
In the seven weeks since taking office, the new German government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, has greenlit arms exports totaling €2.2 billion ($2.48 billion) – almost as much as ex-chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet approved over the first six months of 2021.

At the time, Merkel’s government approved €2.3 billion ($2.59 billion) worth of arms sales.

The new figures prompted some German media, including RP Online, to suggest that the Scholz government is on its way toward a new arms exports record.

Merkel’s government set its own record last year right before their term was due to expire. In the last nine days in office, her cabinet approved arms sales to the tune of nearly $5 billion, bringing the total amount of the nation’s arms exports in 2021 to €9.35 billion ($10.53 billion).

The new coalition government, made up of the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Free Democrats, had vowed to re-examine the previous cabinet’s arms export policies. In December, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called it a matter not only of economy but of “foreign policy, human rights and international relations.”

Scholz’s government also announced it was working on a new arms control bill.

Most of the newly-approved sales were destined for other EU nations, NATO members, and partners like Australia or New Zealand, according to the media, with only a tiny fraction of 0.1% being sold to “third countries.” The term refers to all non-EU and non-NATO nations that do not have the status of “NATO allies” like Australia, Japan or New Zealand.

One deal with the Netherlands involves deliveries of artillery munitions for Dutch ammo depots and firing ranges and accounts for the lion’s share of newly-approved exports at €1.79 billion ($2.02 billion).

Arms worth hundreds of millions of euros are also being sold to Australia, while the US and UK will get German arms worth dozens of millions of euros.

Sven Giegold, a parliamentary state secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs who is responsible for arms exports, told the dpa news agency that the sales were based on close security cooperation with European partners.

In 2021, Egypt emerged as the top recipient of the German arms. The Arab nation was criticized over alleged human rights abuses and its involvement in conflicts in Yemen and Libya. Berlin still sold Cairo three navy ships and 16 air defense systems while Merkel was the German chancellor.

The Social Democrats, which now lead the government coalition, were part of Merkel’s cabinet at the time as well. The then-incumbent chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was a vice-chancellor and the finance minister in the previous government.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
×