Germany’s Russia Reversal

Olaf Scholz was once described as the embodiment of boredom in politics, and in his first few months in office that label seemed to fit well enough. But then Russia attacked Ukraine, soon the Chancellor was transforming years of foreign, fiscal and military policy. In a historic speech to the German parliament, Scholz declared the world had entered a new era. For decades Berlin has implemented a strict policy of not sending weapons to war zones, even preventing Estonia from providing German made weapons to Ukraine in January. But a month later, that position changed. In an instant the German Chancellor reversed tact and agreed to supply Kiev with lethal weapons and tanks. Ulrich Brueckner European Studies Professor at Stanford University in Berlin Bodo Weber Senior Associate at the Democratization Policy Council Klaus Jurgens Political Analyst