The Ukraine war and Germany's dramatic reversal on pacifism

Over the weekend, Germany pledged an additional $4 billion Cdn of military aid to Ukraine, after a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. German defence minister Boris Pistorius said at the time: "Germany will provide all the help it can, as long as it takes." It marks a dramatic shift in the country's military policy. For decades, it has largely avoided military conflict — an approach rooted in the devastating aftermath of the Second World War. In addition to new and substantial military investments, Germany overturned its long-standing policy of not sending weapons to conflict zones, becoming one of the biggest suppliers of weapons to Ukraine. But not everyone is on board with this new stance. This week on Nothing is Foreign, we take a closer look at Germany's growing role in the Ukraine conflict and how it's bringing up complicated feelings for many Germans. Featuring: Ulrike Franke, senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin. Bernhard Blumenau, historian of German foreign policy, University of St. Andrews. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/nothing-is-foreign-transcripts-listen-1.6732059