German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of a false sense of security in Germany and called for more efforts in the defense sector during a visit to the Army's Operational Command today, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Merz drew attention to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. “We must not take our security for granted. We must do more to ensure that we can live freely, peacefully and safely,“ he said.
Merz visited military site near Potsdam on Armed Forces Day, when the military presents itself to the public at 10 locations. Last year, the event attracted 230,000 visitors, the military said.
The chancellor thanked the soldiers for their service and stressed that he wanted "the value of the soldiers' work in our country to be seen and appreciated."
He also visited the Forest of Remembrance, where concrete slabs are inscribed with the names of all 119 soldiers killed during missions abroad. Merz laid a white rose and observed a moment of silence.
The Operational Command is responsible for the operational planning, command and evaluation of all types of troops – the army, the air force, the battle fleet and the cyber and information space forces.
It is also responsible for the operational command of missions abroad and serves as a central point of contact for national authorities, NATO and allied armed forces.
The operational command is directly subordinate to Inspector General (equivalent to Chief of Defense, ed.) Carsten Breuer, who welcomed Merz.
The German Chancellor was briefed on the security situation by the head of the command, Alexander Solfranck.
The command “provides planning and leadership from a single source and does so with impressive professionalism“, Merz said. “The operational heart of the Bundeswehr (German armed forces – ed.), the soldiers, beats here“, he added.