German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, 57, has been Germany's Minister of Defence since Scholz became Chancellor of Germany in December 2021. Critics called Lambrecht underperforming, but Scholz still supported him and even called him a first-rate defence minister.
The German Ministry of Defence is considered indifferent to the need for modernising German military weapons amidst the increasing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Scholz government has actually announced a special 100-billion-euro fund to upgrade Germany's military, the Bundeswehr.
Lambrecht's resignation comes at a sensitive time. Scholz is considered not to have made a significant step forward regarding German military assistance to Ukraine. Germany has provided substantial support to Ukraine in recent months, including howitzers, Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and the IRIS-T surface-to-air missile system. Earlier this month, Germany agreed to provide 40 Marder armoured personnel carriers and a Patriot air defence missile battery to Kyiv.
But critics, some of whom are in Germany's governing coalition, have long complained of Scholz's hesitance to increase aid. Lambrecht was seen as one of the weakest links of the Scholz government in the Ministry of Defence.
