NICE TO SEE THE GERMANS ACKNOWLEDGING REALITY: Ukraine-Russia War Triggers Major German Policy Changes:

In their coalition agreement, the center-left SPD, the Greens, and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) had agreed on a restrictive arms export policy that does not allow any weapons deliveries to crisis regions — and they held on to this stance in recent weeks. The coalition agreement also states that “exceptions can only be made in justified individual cases, which must be documented in a publicly transparent manner.”

Baerbock explained her U-turn in parliament on Sunday, saying: “Just a few weeks ago, I stood here and said on the subject of arms deliveries that a decision to make a 180-degree turn in foreign policy must be taken at the right moment and with full awareness. Now — sad as it is — is the moment to do so.” . . .

Upgrading the Bundeswehr
For decades, given the country’s history as an aggressor, anyone in Germany who advocated strengthening the Bundeswehr was quickly considered a warmonger. But now the military is to be upgraded, and massively so. The armed forces are to be brought up to speed with a special fund to the tune of 100 billion euros ($1.2 billion).
Military strategists are now discussing exactly where to invest. For example, they are considering the development of new tanks and combat aircraft together with European partners, especially France.

One thing seems certain: there will be a shift away from international missions. Twenty years ago, then-Defense Minister Peter Struck (SPD) famously said: “The security of the Federal Republic of Germany is also being defended at the Hindu Kush.” That was the beginning of Germany’s Afghanistan mission. In the following years, the Bundeswehr moved into more and more operational areas far from its own territory, as it was believed that Germany itself was safe anyway.

Now the Afghanistan mission is over, the end of the Mali mission — which started in 2013 — is also looming, while NATO territory seems to be under immediate threat and possibly even Germany itself. So it is no wonder that the issue of national defense, the original purpose of the Bundeswehr, is coming back into focus. . . .

Rethinking energy policy
Germany is to a large scale dependent on Russian energy supplies: Russia accounts for more than half of Germany’s natural gas imports and more than 40 percent of its oil imports. They can hardly be replaced quickly.

The German government wants to significantly expand renewable energies. At the same time, it was planning to phase out coal-fired power generation and nuclear power. Hydrogen power is an option that is being developed, but not yet at a point where it can yield large-scale electricity output. When the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, new gas-fired power plants were supposed to fill the energy gap.

To counteract dependence on Russia for gas, terminals for liquefied gas from the US are now to be built.
And the government is thinking of letting the nuclear power plants that are still operating and some coal-fired power plants run longer than originally planned. This is particularly bitter for the Greens, because they want to phase out nuclear energy and coal as early as possible. But “there are no taboos, everything is up for discussion,” says Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

They should in fact be building new nuclear plants to go into operation “as early as possible.” Still, give the Germans credit for changing a failed policy in the face of evidence of failure, something the United States hasn’t been particularly good at of late.

UPDATE: From the comments: “A sure sign that you are living in troubled times: ‘Great! The Germans are re-arming!'”