The conflicts in Ukraine and Iraq are calling for Germany to take responsibility and it is ready to do so, von der Leyen said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD on Saturday.
German media have previously reported equipment problems within the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, because of which the country had temporary difficulties, fulfilling its military duties.
According to the defense minister, the problems are related to the late delivery of spare parts for aircraft and the technical failure of some helicopters belonging to the naval forces. These problems are not solely due to her own faults, she stated, but also to the mistakes of the defense industry.
