Zeitenwende speech

The Zeitenwende speech was an address delivered to the Bundestag by Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, on 27 February 2022. His speech was a reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Scholz described the attack as a "historic turning point" (German: Zeitenwende, literally: "times-turn", referring to the change from one age or era to another) and announced that in response his government would use a €100 billion off-budget fund to significantly increase military spending, reversing Germany's previously cautious defence policy.

Scholz's speech was well-received by most German and international politicians, and was endorsed by the leader of the opposition Friedrich Merz. The speech represented a major turning point for Germany’s policies in the areas of energy, relations with Russia, and security.

Background

In the early months of 2022, Russia built up a military presence of around 150,000 troops near the Ukrainian border while demanding a commitment from the Western military alliance NATO that Ukraine would not be admitted to its membership. Western governments rejected this demand and reacted by increasing their military aid to Ukraine. Germany, whose government was led by the recently elected chancellor Olaf Scholz, was criticised for taking a cautious approach to the crisis. The criticism focused on Scholz's refusal to specify whether certification of Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline financed by the Russian energy corporation Gazprom, would be suspended in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine. On 15 February, Scholz met the Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow.