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NATO summit: Germany's military faces new challenges – DW – 06/23/2025

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21 minutes ago

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NATO summit: Germany's military faces new challenges – DW – 06/23/2025

More money for defense, more troops: At a summit in The Hague, NATO wants to set ambitious goals. What does this mean for the Germany's military, the Bundeswehr? Even before the NATO summit kicks off in The Hague on Tuesday 24, one thing is clear: The alliance's ambitious goals will place heavy demands on Germany. It's true that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that he will provide all the necessary financial resources to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe. However, NATO's new goals are ambitious: The plan is for member states to spend 5% of their economic output on defense. Until now, it has been 2% — which is what Germany currently spends on defense. It was US President Donald Trump who first proposed the target of 5%. He threatened Europe's NATO allies, saying that if they continued paying as little as they had so far, the US would refuse to provide assistance. In fact, in 2024, the US alone covered two-thirds of the defense spending of all NATO member states. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In many European countries, Trump's demand was met with skepticism, and many said 5% was far too high. In 2024, some countries were far away from even meeting the 2% target. A few days before the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the entire NATO alliance would meet the 2% target by 2025. But this is only supposed to be the first step towards even higher spending. New guidelines of 5% are to be announced at the summit in The Hague. The German government also supports the figure proposed by Rutte: 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) is to be spent on defense and 1.5% on infrastructure that may also be relevant to defense. This could include railways, bridges or ports. The total of 5% is to be achieved by 2032. For Germany and its strong economy, that would be a gigantic sum, estimated at €225 billion ($258 billion) per year. Last year, the total federal budget was €476 billion. Chancellor Merz has emphasized that the continued advancement of military capabilities is the top priority. However not everyone in his coalition government is convinced. "We think it's irrational to set a percentage of GDP for military spending," wrote a group of left-wing SPD members in their manifesto on peacekeeping in Europe. They said there was, "no security policy justification" for this. Parts of the opposition also sharply criticized the idea. In view of the threat posed by Russia, Bundeswehr experts see good reasons to invest more money in the armed forces, which have been neglected for decades. "It's not about pleasing the Americans, nor is it about lining the pockets of the arms industry. It's in Germany's national interest to be capable of defending itself," security expert Aylin Matle from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) told DW. She said that the federal government has a responsibility to explain why this is necessary. Nevertheless, she agreed that 5% of economic output is "an insane amount." In addition to finances, the NATO summit will also focus on military capabilities. Additional troops are needed in Europe, both as a show of strength to Russia and in response to President Trump's announcement that he intends to reduce the US presence in Europe. What does this mean for the German armed forces? Between 50,000 and 60,000 additional soldiers are needed, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius explained in Brussels at the beginning of June. The NATO defense ministers first set the alliance's new capability targets at their meeting in June. While the details are confidential, Pistorius has announced plans to form and fully equip large, new military units. "This will be a major undertaking," he said. Under discussion are five to seven new brigades, each with 5,000 soldiers, tanks, artillery and associated logistics. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video How the German army plans to recruit tens of thousands of additional career soldiers in the coming years remains unclear for the time being. It currently has a force of around 182,000 soldiers and is actively recruiting new personnel. "We currently have good personnel numbers, good recruitment figures, and good applicant numbers. That is encouraging," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense at the beginning of June. In recent years, the number of soldiers has declined despite all recruitment efforts. Conscription, which was suspended in Germany in 2011, could be an effective means of recruiting personnel. There are no plans to reinstate it for the time being. This was agreed upon by the government coalition partners. "We are creating a new, attractive military service that will initially be based on voluntary enlistment," it says in the coalition agreement. The word "conscription" does not appear in it. In view of NATO's increased requirements, there are growing calls within the conservative coalition partners, the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) to start preparing for the reintroduction of compulsory military service. But Chancellor Friedrich Merz is holding back. For the time being, the agreement in the coalition contract will remain in place. "We will have to look closely at whether attractiveness programs and voluntary service are sufficient. If voluntary service is not sufficient, then we will have to discuss additional steps very soon," it says. In this regard, Merz and his defense minister, Pistorius, are on the same page. Pistorius stresses that, "conscription is of no use to us at present because we lack enough barracks and training facilities. Therefore, these capacities must be expanded. Until then, voluntary service will remain in place." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Security expert Matle is skeptical that a voluntary military service plan could really work long-term. "It'll be scrapped pretty quickly," she predicted. Especially since the pressure on Germany could grow again if the US does really pull its troops out of Europe. The Trump administration has already announced its intentions to do just that. More detailed information on this is not expected until after the NATO summit. Matlé suspects that the cards could then be reshuffled once again. "The Europeans, including Germany, would then be faced with the question of how to make up for this." But she believes that even if this means that even more troops will be needed in Europe, it is "not very likely that Germany will be able to increase its troop numbers significantly in the next few years."While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.

NATO summit: Bundeswehr faces new challenges – DW – 06/23/2025

DW

an hour ago

DW

NATO summit: Bundeswehr faces new challenges – DW – 06/23/2025

More money for defense, more troops: At a summit in The Hague, NATO wants to set ambitious goals. What does this mean for the Germany's military, the Bundeswehr? Even before the NATO summit kicks off in The Hague on Tuesday 24, one thing is clear: The alliance's ambitious goals will place heavy demands on Germany. It's true that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that he will provide all the necessary financial resources to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe. However, NATO's new goals are ambitious: The plan is for member states to spend 5% of their economic output on defense. Until now, it has been 2% — which is what Germany currently spends on defense. It was US President Donald Trump who first proposed the target of 5%. He threatened Europe's NATO allies, saying that if they continued paying as little as they had so far, the US would refuse to provide assistance. In fact, in 2024, the US alone covered two-thirds of the defense spending of all NATO member states. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In many European countries, Trump's demand was met with skepticism, and many said 5% was far too high. In 2024, some countries were far away from even meeting the 2% target. A few days before the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the entire NATO alliance would meet the 2% target by 2025. But this is only supposed to be the first step towards even higher spending. New guidelines of 5% are to be announced at the summit in The Hague. The German government also supports the figure proposed by Rutte: 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) is to be spent on defense and 1.5% on infrastructure that may also be relevant to defense. This could include railways, bridges or ports. The total of 5% is to be achieved by 2032. For Germany and its strong economy, that would be a gigantic sum, estimated at €225 billion ($258 billion) per year. Last year, the total federal budget was €476 billion. Chancellor Merz has emphasized that the continued advancement of military capabilities is the top priority. However not everyone in his coalition government is convinced. "We think it's irrational to set a percentage of GDP for military spending," wrote a group of left-wing SPD members in their manifesto on peacekeeping in Europe. They said there was, "no security policy justification" for this. Parts of the opposition also sharply criticized the idea. In view of the threat posed by Russia, Bundeswehr experts see good reasons to invest more money in the armed forces, which have been neglected for decades. "It's not about pleasing the Americans, nor is it about lining the pockets of the arms industry. It's in Germany's national interest to be capable of defending itself," security expert Aylin Matle from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) told DW. She said that the federal government has a responsibility to explain why this is necessary. Nevertheless, she agreed that 5% of economic output is "an insane amount." In addition to finances, the NATO summit will also focus on military capabilities. Additional troops are needed in Europe, both as a show of strength to Russia and in response to President Trump's announcement that he intends to reduce the US presence in Europe. What does this mean for the German armed forces? Between 50,000 and 60,000 additional soldiers are needed, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius explained in Brussels at the beginning of June. The NATO defense ministers first set the alliance's new capability targets at their meeting in June. While the details are confidential, Pistorius has announced plans to form and fully equip large, new military units. "This will be a major undertaking," he said. Under discussion are five to seven new brigades, each with 5,000 soldiers, tanks, artillery and associated logistics. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video How the German army plans to recruit tens of thousands of additional career soldiers in the coming years remains unclear for the time being. It currently has a force of around 182,000 soldiers and is actively recruiting new personnel. "We currently have good personnel numbers, good recruitment figures, and good applicant numbers. That is encouraging," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense at the beginning of June. In recent years, the number of soldiers has declined despite all recruitment efforts. Conscription, which was suspended in Germany in 2011, could be an effective means of recruiting personnel. There are no plans to reinstate it for the time being. This was agreed upon by the government coalition partners. "We are creating a new, attractive military service that will initially be based on voluntary enlistment," it says in the coalition agreement. The word "conscription" does not appear in it. In view of NATO's increased requirements, there are growing calls within the conservative coalition partners, the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) to start preparing for the reintroduction of compulsory military service. But Chancellor Friedrich Merz is holding back. For the time being, the agreement in the coalition contract will remain in place. "We will have to look closely at whether attractiveness programs and voluntary service are sufficient. If voluntary service is not sufficient, then we will have to discuss additional steps very soon," it says. In this regard, Merz and his defense minister, Pistorius, are on the same page. Pistorius stresses that, "conscription is of no use to us at present because we lack enough barracks and training facilities. Therefore, these capacities must be expanded. Until then, voluntary service will remain in place." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Security expert Matle is skeptical that a voluntary military service plan could really work long-term. "It'll be scrapped pretty quickly," she predicted. Especially since the pressure on Germany could grow again if the US does really pull its troops out of Europe. The Trump administration has already announced its intentions to do just that. More detailed information on this is not expected until after the NATO summit. Matlé suspects that the cards could then be reshuffled once again. "The Europeans, including Germany, would then be faced with the question of how to make up for this." But she believes that even if this means that even more troops will be needed in Europe, it is "not very likely that Germany will be able to increase its troop numbers significantly in the next few years."While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.

NATO summit in The Hague: A big win for Donald Trump? – DW – 06/23/2025

DW

an hour ago

DW

NATO summit in The Hague: A big win for Donald Trump? – DW – 06/23/2025

The NATO summit is set to be all about the money. NATO countries are expected to commit to a massive increase in defense spending — to deter Russia and please US President Donald Trump. Ramping up Europe's defense spending has been a major demand by US President Donald Trump and his administration since day one. This goal has become potentially acceptable to almost all NATO countries thanks to Secretary-General Mark Rutte's persuasive power, particularly after Germany, the biggest European economy, threw its weight behind it. Officials at NATO told DW that it's about giving Trump a win but also "about rebalancing in the alliance," as one senior diplomat put it, stressing that if that's achieved, the summit would be a resounding success. "Hopefully, Trump is not going to leave early like he did from the recent G7 meeting in Canada," Jamie Shea, a former NATO official, told DW. This worst-case scenario is a big concern for some NATO allies and something they want to avoid at any price. Shea said he thinks "it's important for Trump to be there to learn about all of the good things that NATO is doing at the moment, which help America's security and not just Europe's security." The goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense is highly ambitious, and has the potential to transform societies in Europe: While in many EU countries, social justice and economic stability were the clear priorities for national governments for decades, in the future they might concentrate on strengthening military power and becoming more independent from the United States. This scenario has led to growing resistance in some parts of Europe. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Asked about how he would explain his plan to citizens in Europe who are against social cuts in favor of new weapons, Rutte recently said that leaders need to act now because "otherwise, four or five years from now, we are really under threat and then you have to get your Russian language course or go to New Zeeland." Rutte's idea is to cut the cake into two pieces and to allocate 3.5% of GDP to core defense needs and 1.5% to security-related investments. These investments include building broader roads and bridges that could carry heavy weaponry but also cybersecurity, measures against hybrid attacks, civil protection and aid for Ukraine. Members of the alliance will try to factor in what they are already spending, for instance, on infrastructure, diplomats at NATO acknowledge. But they also stress that the fact that allies were able to agree on the exact definition of the 1.5% target is already a significant success. The biggest challenge is getting everyone on board with the 3.5% target for core military spending. Spain, which has the lowest military spending in the alliance, has signaled it wants a carve-out. Other nations, like Italy, are demanding more time than the proposed seven years to meet the obligation. Many NATO members are ready to spend more but refuse to commit to yearly plans — a kind of control mechanism — also proposed by Rutte. In the end, it comes down to NATO's credibility, Lithuania's former foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told DW. The alliance "is moving in the right direction," he said. But like many representatives of the countries on NATO's Eastern flank in proximity to Russia, he warns against not being serious about fulfilling the new spending pledge. "What if it is just to have a nice summit and everyone leaves happy, and then nothing really happens?" In addition, many Europeans are unhappy about the apparent lack of any ambition when it comes to Ukraine. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to the summit, his aspirations to join NATO are unlikely to take center stage at the summit. There seems to be a zero chance for Ukraine's NATO aspirations to be prominently featured in the summit's final declaration. "Clearly, the United States in particular has wanted to play it down," former NATO official Jamie Shea explained. "So, for Ukraine, it is going to be a rather disappointing NATO summit." There will be a sentence or two as a reference to Russia as a threat in the final document, NATO sources told DW, but no new tough language, given the ongoing US attempts to get both countries to the negotiating table. Kristine Berzina, a NATO expert with the German Marshall Fund think tank, says it's important to look at the bigger picture. "We get so obsessed with the little declarations and paragraphs about such and such," she told DW. What really matters is that "NATO is a strong political alliance and the people at the table believe in each other." That is what she expects to be the summit's strong message. "Of course, it is about Russia. Talking about the ambitious new steps they're going to take is a signal to Russia," Berzina said. Still, the summit declaration is expected to be "short and crisp," as one diplomat put it, and the event is deliberately planned as a brief exchange not to bore Trump, who's known for not being a fan of long speeches by others and of multilateral organizations in general. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The big risk is that should the conflict in the Middle East escalate, Trump may not travel to The Hague at all, according to media reports in the US. At NATO HQ in Brussels, diplomats say they do not have any indication that Trump won't be there. So, is the NATO summit just about pleasing Trump, as the program, including a dinner with the Dutch king, an invitation to play golf in the Netherlands, and the expected big spending splash, indicates? In the end, it is about the Europeans, Jamie Shea said. "The 5% of GDP for defense spending is to deter Russia, to keep Europe and NATO citizens safe, sleeping soundly in their beds at night." But he also admitted that "provided the decision on the 5% is taken, Trump should go back to Washington a happy man."To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

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NATO summit: Germany's military faces new challenges – DW – 06/23/2025

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NATO summit: Germany's military faces new challenges – DW – 06/23/2025

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