{"id":21589,"date":"2019-03-06T20:32:03","date_gmt":"2019-03-06T20:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/06\/germany-to-extend-saudi-weapons-embargo-until-months-end\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:56:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:56:55","slug":"germany-to-extend-saudi-weapons-embargo-until-months-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/03\/06\/germany-to-extend-saudi-weapons-embargo-until-months-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany to extend Saudi weapons embargo until month\u2019s end"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2014 The German government will extend an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia through the end of the month, risking escalation of a growing dispute with France and the United Kingdom over sales of jointly produced weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made the announcement during a news conference with his Danish counterpart, Anders Samuelsen, in Berlin on Wednesday. The ban was previously set to expire March 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany\u2019s objections against arming Riyadh have taken center stage here in the negotiations over boosting the European Union\u2019s defense capabilities. Industry advocates fear that Germany\u2019s restrictive stance on arms exports undermines the newfound unity in producing joint military gear, including a sixth-generation fighter aircraft, a battle tank and a high-flying drone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials in France and the U.K. have accused Germany of holding up weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, the world\u2019s third-largest spender on defense, even when only a relatively small percentage of the overall product is made in Germany. These governments claim this has led to financial losses for their domestic defense industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Merkel government placed a ban on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia following the death of Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. permanent resident. It\u2019s alleged he was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, last fall. Western officials believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in orchestrating the killing. The regime has denied any knowledge of it, instead describing the crime as a rogue operation gone wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\t