Speaking at the organization’s headquarters, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany would strive to be ’the backbone of conventional defense in Europe.’
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday that NATO can count on Berlin to step up its contribution to the defense of Europe.
Speaking at a ceremony at NATO’s Brussels headquarters to mark the 70th anniversary of West Germany joining the alliance, Steinmeier looked to assuage fears about the organization’s future.
“Today, with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war against Ukraine raging on in full force, and with the United States putting fierce pressure on its European allies, Germany is in a crucial position,” he said.
“We got the message, you can count on us. We will strive to make Germany, both its military and its infrastructure, the backbone of conventional defense in Europe.”
In a major shift for Germany, which traditionally prides itself on strict fiscal discipline, Berlin has approved plans for a huge spending surge as Friedrich Merz prepares to take office as Germany’s new chancellor next month.
The fiscal plan includes 500 billion euros ($569 billion) for a special fund for infrastructure and plans to largely remove defense spending from domestic rules that cap borrowing.
“Up until now, every milestone for Germany, every turning point for the better, has been in some way, one of restraint, of embedding, becoming part of something larger, NATO, for instance, the United Nations, the European Union,” said Steinmeier, who has been president since 2017.
“But the tides have turned. Putin has brought war back to this continent. Today, a badly armed Germany is a greater threat to Europe than a strongly armed Germany.”
Berlin’s hike in defense expenditure was sparked by growing concerns across Europe that the continent can no longer fully depend on the United States for its defense, following criticism from President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration.
West Germany joined NATO in 1955 during the Cold War. East Germany became part of the alliance after German reunification in 1990.
By Guy Birchall
