\u201cDo you think you can trust Putin?\u201d German Brig. Gen. Ralf Hammerstein asks with a wry smile. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a rhetorical question to which most of Europe would give the same answer \u2013 no. <\/p>\n
As the Trump administration continues to pursue a deal to end the war in Ukraine \u2014 one that may end up being more favorable to Moscow than Kyiv \u2014 Europeans, for the first time in decades, are focusing on their own military might. <\/p>\n
Nowhere is that shift as prominent as in Germany. Its armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, have been the victim of years of underinvestment \u2013 but that is set to change. <\/p>\n
Presumptive Chancellor Friedrich Merz has decided that now is the moment for Germany to invest in its military, on levels not seen since the Cold War. <\/p>\n
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was a seismic moment for the continent. War had returned and the detente that had existed since the fall of the Iron Curtain was over. <\/p>\n
In Berlin, it kickstarted the period known in German as the \u201cZeitenwende\u201d \u2013 <\/em>or \u201c<\/em>turning point.\u201d In effect, it was the beginning of the effort to step up military spending once again. <\/p>\n Olaf Scholz, the now-outgoing chancellor, said the country needed a new defense and security policy \u2013 and that the Bundeswehr needed special attention. <\/p>\n He established a one-off \u20ac100 billion fund for \u201ccomprehensive investment\u201d into the Bundeswehr. To do so, Scholz had to amend the Basic Law \u2013 essentially, the country\u2019s constitution. <\/p>\n Even though that fund was welcomed, the implementation of the policy has been lackluster, and government squabbling and in-fighting ultimately led to Scholz losing his job. <\/p>\n Merz now is looking to supercharge the \u201cZeitenwende.\u201d <\/p>\n As the simulated attack was unfolding, back in Berlin Merz was outlining his new vision for the armed forces. \u201cWe have believed in a deceptive security in our society for at least a decade, probably much more\u2026 This is now the paradigm shift in defense policy that lies ahead of us.\u201d <\/p>\n Since the middle of the Cold War era, Germany\u2019s military expenditure as a percentage of GDP has dropped dramatically. Peaking at 4.9% in 1963, it fell to an all-time low in 2005 of just 1.1%. <\/p>\n Only as recently as 2024 did Germany meet the NATO threshold of 2% spending on defense \u2014 marking the first time in more than 30 years. <\/p>\n Hammerstein acknowledges that \u201cevery army in the world, in history and also in the future, will always claim not to have enough.\u201d But he equates Germany\u2019s current situation as a reliance on the \u201cpeace dividend\u201d from the 1990s that \u201cwas a decrease for all the militaries in the world, in Europe especially.\u201d <\/p>\n He thinks that Germany is on the right track now. Last year, for the \u201cfirst time, (we) were able to spend the 2% GDP NATO criteria, and we\u2019ll additionally spend money, like the \u20ac100 billion we did in 2022, and this will continue, and the new chancellor is absolutely dedicated to that.\u201d <\/p>\n Merz may be committed to beefing up Germany\u2019s projected military power and putting its defense on a more secure footing, but a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva H\u00f6gl, suggested the work to be done was significant. <\/p>\n Released last week, the report outlined that the Bundeswehr didn\u2019t meet recruitment targets, had an aging fighting force, with barracks and basic infrastructure lacking. Addressing journalists at its launch, she said, \u201cthe Bundeswehr still has too little of everything.\u201d <\/p>\n In 2018, Germany committed to boosting its standing forces to 203,000 by 2025 \u2014 a target date that was later revised to 2031. As the report states, \u201cthe Bundeswehr once again failed to achieve its original target.\u201d H\u00f6gl said that the current Bundeswehr fighting force is 181,174 personnel. <\/p>\n Asked about how the figure should be reached, Hammerstein, who joined as a conscript in 1992, called for a period of military service. Germany officially put conscription into abeyance in 2011. <\/p>\n \u201cI was convinced by the law to join the military. So, I think some kind of obligatory service has to be in place to increase the numbers in the way we want to see it,\u201d Hammerstein said. \u201cIt will not happen overnight – but the increase we will see\u2026 starting this year.\u201d <\/p>\n The H\u00f6gl report also highlighted the serving age of the army, saying servicemen and women are \u201cgetting older and older.,\u201d The average age in 2019 was 32.4, but has now increased to 34. <\/p>\n Perhaps the most damning section of the report came with a bill attached. It said \u20ac67 billion were required for infrastructure projects, and described barracks and properties as \u201cstill in a disastrous state.\u201d <\/p>\n For Hammerstein, though, it isn\u2019t always about money. He insists that Germany has a sound platform to launch from, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s about the quality and what I see here during the training is that we have a good substance. We have really highly motivated soldiers\u2026 and that keeps me very optimistic that the substance is good, and now we have to increase it.\u201d <\/p>\n There is also a shift in the national psyche towards the Bundeswehr. While Germans are usually very image-conscious over their military, particularly given the country\u2019s history, polling suggests many now hold a more positive opinion. <\/p>\n A survey conducted by German public broadcaster ARD in March found 66% of respondents believe it\u2019s right to increase spending on defense and the Bundeswehr, while 31% said spending should remain the same or be cut further. <\/p>\n It also found that 59% of those surveyed agreed that Germany should significantly increase its debt in order to \u201ccope with upcoming tasks, especially in defense and infrastructure.\u201d <\/p>\n As Merz embarks on turning around the German juggernaut, he is confident that he is setting Germany on the right track towards a more secure and prosperous future. <\/p>\n \u201cGermany is back,\u201d he declared a week ago in Berlin. \u201cGermany is making a significant contribution to the defense of freedom and peace in Europe.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cDo you think you can trust Putin?\u201d German Brig. 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