The Minister of Defense of Germany, Christine Lambrecht, submitted her resignation to the German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday, in a statement sent to the press, international news agencies inform, Agerpres reads.

„The focus of the mass media on my person for months does not allow the establishment of objective reports and discussions regarding the soldiers, the Bundeswehr (German army) and the orientations of the security policy in the interest of the German citizens,” lamented Christine Lambrecht in the statement to. In this context, „I asked the chancellor today to release me from my duties as minister of defense”, she added.

According to Christina Lambrecht, „the precious work of soldiers and many motivated people must be at the forefront”, while Germany foresees investments of 100 billion euros for the modernization of its army, in the context of the war in Ukraine.

This resignation comes at a time when Germany is again under pressure to supply tanks to Ukraine. The name of his or her successor is not yet known.

The defender has been the target of harsh criticism in Germany over her competence, but also over her public comments, including a New Year’s message posted on Instagram in which Lambrecht spoke about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while fireworks exploded behind her. She had also drawn criticism from Kiev after announcing the sending of 5,000 helmets, while Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s regime demanded heavy weapons.

An opinion poll carried out for public television ZDF and presented on Friday by dpa showed that 60% of Germans wanted the defense minister, social democrat Christine Lambrecht, 57, to resign and only 25% supported her remaining in office. Half of the interviewed voters of the social democrats also said that the defense minister should resign.

The conservative CDU/CSU opposition bloc had earlier demanded the resignation of Christina Lambrecht.

Lambrecht was Minister of Justice in the previous coalition government led by Angela Merkel.

Agerpres