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- Merz has been racing to build up Germany鈥檚 long-neglected armed forces, with the aim of turning them into the 鈥榮trongest conventional army鈥� in Europe
BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted a pledge by NATO allies to boost defense spending at a 鈥渉istoric鈥� summit starting on Tuesday would not just aim to please US President Donald Trump.
鈥淲e are not doing this, as some claim, to do the United States and its president a favor,鈥� he told the German parliament before setting off for the gathering in The Hague.
鈥淲e are doing this based on our own observations and convictions. Russia, above all, is actively and aggressively threatening security and freedom鈥� across Europe, he added.
鈥淲e have to fear that Russia will continue its war beyond Ukraine.鈥�
The summit has been viewed as heavily focused on keeping Trump happy after he made comments that sparked concern about Washington鈥檚 commitment to NATO and insisted that other member states spend at least five percent of their GDP on defense.
NATO鈥檚 32 countries have thrashed out a compromise deal to dedicate 3.5 percent to core military spending by 2035, and 1.5 percent to broader security-related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure.
On Monday, Europe鈥檚 biggest economy revealed plans to reach the 3.5 percent level for core spending six years early 鈥� in 2029 鈥� with the vast extra outlays necessary made possible after Germany eased its rules on taking on debt.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday that he would head to the NATO summit with the message that 鈥渆xternal security and defense capability are once again an absolute priority in (German) government policy.鈥�
鈥淲e are bringing about a historic turnaround in defense spending.鈥�
On the summit, he said there were 鈥済ood signs鈥� about 鈥渢he broad consensus on how to proceed... I see no reason to assume that we will be given the cold shoulder.鈥�
Since taking office in May, Merz has been racing to build up Germany鈥檚 long-neglected armed forces, with the aim of turning them into the 鈥渟trongest conventional army鈥� in Europe 鈥� a radical shift in a country with strong pacifist traditions due to its dark wartime past.
A drive has been launched to boost military personnel, which aims to attract 11,000 fresh recruits this year alone 鈥� and Pistorius has suggested conscription, which was halted in Germany in 2011, could be reintroduced if too few people sign up voluntarily.
Germany is also building up a permanent military brigade in Lithuania 鈥� the country鈥檚 first such overseas deployment since World War II 鈥� to bolster NATO鈥檚 eastern flank against Russia.