German politician Sarah Wagenknecht slammed the German defense minister's decision to spend billions of euro on the German army.
"The Bundeswehr has a constitutional mission: national defense. It has to be well-equipped for that. If von der Leyen demands an additional 12 billion euro, it is not about national defense, but about foreign missions. But German security is not defended in the Hindu Kush or in Iraq; on the contrary, it is put at risk if we participate in oil and gas wars violating international law," Wagenkneht told Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
The largest detachments of German troops operate in Afghanistan, Mali, Syria and Northern Iraq.
About 1,200 German armed forces personnel are also deployed in Turkey, where the German Air Force has been operating since 2015, providing support for the US-led anti-Daesh coalition.
READ MORE: German Military Might Grows as Berlin Prepares to Pick Up the Slack for the US
Closer to Russia's borders, the German Air Force is deployed on a rotating basis in Estonia, with a battalion of NATO forces, including up to 700 German troops, expected to be deployed in Lithuania later this year.
In addition to these deployments, the German military is also present in Kosovo (about 700 troops), plus UN-led peacekeeping efforts in Sudan, South Sudan and Lebanon.
'Ice Age in Ties With Russia Should End'
The politician also called for an end to the confrontation between Moscow and the EU.
"The ice age in relations with Russia should be ended. Rapprochement is in Europe's interests," the politician told the German newspaper, adding that the restrictive measures imposed on Moscow mainly harm European and German enterprises.
On Friday, Vladimir Putin held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sochi, Russia.
According to the Russian president, the discussions were meaningful and right on time, while Angela Merkel said, in turn, that good relations with Russia meet Germany's strategic interests.
