Boris Pistorius, an  interior minister of Lower Saxony State, is Germany’s new defense minister (Credit: Olaf Kosinsky, Wikipedia)

By  Gary  Raynaldo   –   DIPLOMATIC   TIMES

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday appointed Boris Pistorius, an interior minister, as the country’s new defense boss.  Pistorius will replace Christine Lambrech, who resigned Monday as defense minister amid dwindling confidence in her abilities and response to the Ukraine war. 

“I am delighted that Boris Pistorius, an outstanding politician of our country, will be the new Minister of Defense,” Scholz said in Twitter tweet. “With his experience, competence and assertiveness, as well as his big heart, he is exactly the right person for the Bundeswehr in this turning of the times.”

Christine Lambrecht , former Minister of Defence, Germany, gives opening remarks at meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence – Brussels, Belgium Oct. 13, 2022 (Credit: NATO.int) 

Pistorius,  a 62-years-old Social Democrat, is the interior minister of Germany’s Lower Saxony state where he has served the past nine years.   He is from the same political party as Lambrecht and Chancellor Scholz. Born in Osnabrueck, Pistorius studied law and worked as a lawyer before going into politics in the 1990s. He served as mayor of Osnabrueck early in career.  Many Western allies  are calling on Germany to assume a leadership position in Europe’s response to the war in Ukraine given Berlin’s economic and military might. Germany has often been criticized for being too cautious in supplying arms. There has been ongoing pressure on Germany to allow  the supply of tanks to Ukraine in the war with Russia.  Lambrecht was also criticized for failing to establish her authority over the Bundeswehr.  Pistorius is described as a low-key,  no nonsense politician. He will certainly have his work cut out for him in beefing up Germany’s defense forces and taking a leadership role in the Russia-Ukraine war. Pistorius’ appointment comes  as the US Secretary of Defense travels to Germany to meet with top officials and join the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the US military’s Ramstein Air Base on Friday.