Most German weapons exports sent to Ukraine in 2023

German weapon exports amounted to €4.46 billion in the first half of 2023, a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2022, with Ukraine receiving €4.42 billion in military assistance.

The war in Ukraine and the following turning point in German security policy – called the “Zeitenwende” – nullified its commitment to withhold arms export into active war zones. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the country’s security reorientation seems to be in full force, with almost all weapons exports going to Ukraine.

In total, Ukraine received arms in value of around €68.88 billion between February 2022 and February 2023.

In addition to Hungary (€1.03 billion), the EU and NATO Member States Cyprus (€266.6 million), the US (€265.8 million), Great Britain (€227 million), France (€226.8 million), Poland (€92.3 million) and Finland (€83.7 million) were among the top beneficiaries of the German arms industry complex, according to a response from the Economy Ministry to a written query from Member of the German Parliament Sevim Dağdelen (Left Party), available to dpa.

In sixth place, South Korea received €201.7 million in exports, as the country is seen as a close ally by Germany, the EU and NATO. Deliveries of around €108.4 million were permitted to go to India, representing the largest third-country exports after Ukraine.

This brings the German arms export permissions of 2023 on a trajectory to beat last year’s numbers. These were the second-highest in Germany’s history since the Second World War. The figure has only been beaten by the record amount of €9.35 billion in 2021.

Even after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine, arms exports in Germany were a topic of hot debate. A national arms export law was supposed to be passed about one year ago to establish a clear set of criteria, but there has been no notable progress thus far.

Originally, the Greens proposed preventing exports to dictators, regimes disregarding human rights, and war zones.

In Germany, weapon exports are to be approved by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, which is led by Robert Habeck, a senior member of the Green party, while the arms export law is to be drafted in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, where another member of the Green party, Annalena Baerbock is in charge.

(Kjeld Neubert| EURACTIV.de)