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Nothing to See Here: German Defense Ministry Calls Reports About Lambrecht's Resignation 'Rumors'

BERLIN (Sputnik) - Reports about the possible resignation of German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht are rumors that the ministry will not comment on, a spokesperson for the country's defense ministry told RIA Novosti.
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Earlier, the Bild newspaper reported, citing its sources, that Lambrecht had decided to resign from the post of defense minister.
"These are rumors that we do not comment on," the spokesperson said.
Lambrecht has come under fire on several occasions in recent months, including from coalition partners. The minister was criticized for offering to supply helmets to Kiev for self-defense, and a photo of her son in a Bundeswehr helicopter during her business trip also led to a scandal. The insufficient and often breaking military equipment of the Bundeswehr also played its role.
However, the last wave of criticism was associated with a New Year's video, where, against the backdrop of festive fireworks, Lambrecht mentioned the situation in Ukraine, adding in this context that she herself received "a lot of special impressions" and had many meetings with interesting people.
German media reported that Lambrecht had allegedly decided to step down of her own volition, noting that the office of the German Chancellor had no part in the move. It was further claimed that talks for a potential successor were underway.
The latest comes as nearly two-thirds of the surveyed German public indicated their desire for Lambrecht to resign. A polling conducted by the Institute for New Social Answers found that only 15% of those questioned said they wanted the defense minister to remain at her post.
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