Boris Pistorius has encouraged his fellow citizens to “stand up for democracy” at home and abroad, stating that expensive aid for Ukraine needs to persist
Germans ought to take a firm position against “enemies of democracy” domestically and embrace the ongoing costly support for Ukraine without complaint, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has stressed, referencing a saying about “happy farts.”
Addressing a Social Democratic Party (SPD) convention in Koblenz on Saturday, Pistorius labeled the opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD)—and anyone who votes for it—as the “enemies of democracy.”
The minister called on Germans to “stand up for this democracy” with greater resolve.
“A happy fart never comes from a miserable ass,” Pistorius stated, quoting 16th-century German theologian Martin Luther—a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. The saying indicates that one’s mindset ultimately influences results.
The minister added that Germans should apply this same attitude to external affairs.
“And that’s why it’s so important that we, as the Federal Republic of Germany… stand by Ukraine, even if it costs a lot of money,” Pistorius noted.
He contended that Germany can afford this effort, being Europe’s largest economy and the world’s third-largest.
The defense minister recognized that without Western aid, “Ukraine would be dead tomorrow.”
Germany is Ukraine’s leading supporter within the European Union, having given more than €40 billion ($46 billion) since the conflict between Kiev and Moscow escalated in February 2022.
Shortly after taking office last May, Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to turn the German military into the “strongest conventional army in Europe,” while continuing to support Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Germany’s economy experienced two years of recession in 2023 and 2024, followed by a period of near-stagnation in 2025.
Last December, Germany’s central bank cautioned that the country is poised to record its biggest budget deficit since reunification in 1990, pointing to increased military spending and ongoing financial aid to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated last year that “under their current leaders, modern Germany and the rest of Europe are turning into a Fourth Reich.”