Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
Watch video here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) made the case today on the Senate floor for Germany—Europe’s economic leader—to increase its contribution to battling Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Currently, Germany’s spending to help Ukraine, measured by share of GDP, does not fall in the top 10 nations offering financial support to Ukraine.
Key excerpts from Kennedy speech include:
“Germany’s so-called strong support is more lamb than lion.”
“Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom have all outspent Germany by share of gross domestic product. Our neighbors in Canada have outspent Germany, too, both in raw dollars and by share of GDP. And the same is certainly true of the American people. The American people have spent roughly double—double—what our friends in Germany have spent in Ukraine fighting for freedom, by share of gross domestic product.”
“ . . . Americans are wondering why the United States and Canada have dug deeper to deter Russian aggression than Germany has.”
“Germany is the economic leader of Europe. Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world. But, the fact is . . . that Germany is failing to pull its weight in Ukraine. And if we look back, Mr. President, on the past year, it’s very clear that Germany’s support of Ukraine has been heavy on words and short on action. And I hate to have to say that. Somehow, Germany’s leadership has lost the urgency it had when Putin began his march into Ukraine.”
“For several decades . . . Germany became increasingly reliant on Russia’s energy. Germany appeared to believe, foolishly—naively, maybe is a better word—that its energy trade with Putin would yield friendship. Instead, it yielded dependency. . . . Putin knew that Germany’s energy dependency would make it a lot easier for him to march into Ukraine, not harder. Everybody knew it.”
“In the wake of Putin’s rapid invasion, Chancellor Scholz made big promises. He called it a turning point in German history. He said defense spending was going to increase to 2%. He said he was going to create an extra military fund valued at $107 billion. He said his military was going to increase by 30,000 women and men by 2025. I regret, Mr. President, that Germany’s urgency seems to have disappeared.
“Military spending has barely nudged above 1.5%, still short of the 2% commitment that Germany made to NATO. Germany did purchase 35 American F-35 fighter jets. You know when they’re going to be ready? 2027. And experts a lot smarter than me doubt Germany will reach its 30,000 promised new troops by the date it said it would. The truth is . . . since the invasion began, Germany has been slow to provide weapons to Ukraine.”
“Even when offering up so little, the German chancellor demanded that the United States of America do more.”
“Promises to recruit more troops, spend more money, reinvigorate its Bundeswehr—they’re nice, but those are only words. Germany seems to acknowledge that the barbarians are at the gate. . . . So why aren’t our friends in Germany willing to act?”
“In every way, Putin poses a larger threat to Germany than he does to the United States. . . . Yet the United States of America, the people of this country, have outspent Germany seven times in helping our friends in Ukraine.”
“If Germany wants to be a leader in Europe . . . it needs to lead. That starts with footing the bill for its own defense. . . . It starts with helping Ukraine. We’ve wasted a year, Mr. President. It’s long past time for our friends in Germany to step up and meet the defense promises it made when Putin invaded.”
Video of Kennedy’s remarks is here.