NEW DELHI: When Narendra Modi touches base with the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, it’s against the backdrop of the Ukraine war that is seen to have triggered Berlin’s decision in late March, to “rearm” with plans to spend an impressive 100 billion Euros. But not many may recall that two months earlier, the same Scholz government had offered to send 5000 helmets to Ukraine rather than any military hardware. This could even have been a climbdown from the earlier offer of a field hospital for Ukraine.
“The point to note is that there is a mindset here,” said a senior government official “and while it’s good that Modi is meeting Scholz so early in his tenure, German squeamishness about many issues including defence and strategic policy may be an obstacle going forward.”
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