"When a new defense minister is appointed, that will be the first question raised"

"When a new defense minister is appointed, that will be the first issue that needs to be decided concretely," Habeck told German national radio "Deutschlandfunk" on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, reports Reuters.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday, as the government in Berlin comes under increasing pressure to allow the deployment of battle tanks to Ukraine.
German government is facing renewed calls to send Leopard 2 battle tanks, which Ukraine sees as crucial if it is to defeat Russia, or at least to approve their delivery from other countries, such as Poland.
Warsaw is clear about its intention to supply battle tanks, but requires permission from Germany as the country of manufacture.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that he would act quickly to replace Lambrecht, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing government sources, reported that her successor would be named today.
Potential replacements include Eva Hgl, the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces and Siemtje Mller, a junior defense minister.
Scholz is under pressure to make another significant step forward in German military aid to Ukraine by agreeing to deliver Leopard 2 battle tanks.