German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) has joined the call by US President Donald Trump for Germany and other NATO countries to increase their defense spending to five percent of their GDP. “We are following him there” Wadephul said on Thursday after a meeting with US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Turkey. Germany sees Trump’s demand as a commitment by the US government to NATO. Wadephul also referred to the proposal by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who had suggested that about a third of the five percent be allocated for military infrastructure to meet the target. The German Foreign Minister immediately received praise from the chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP). The proposals were “ambitious, but necessary given the security situation” Strack-Zimmermann told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.” Spending 3.5 percent of GDP on defense was feasible for Germany and the Bundestag had already committed to providing the necessary funds. “The additionally proposed 1.5 percent for defense-related areas or military infrastructure in order to reach a total of 5 percent must be precisely defined. This includes the area of military research and development” Strack-Zimmermann added. The Federal Ministry of Defense must immediately adjust the necessary laws and bring them to the Bundestag and ensure that the procurement agency for the German armed forces removes all bureaucratic hurdles for the acquisition of armaments. In addition, the industry needs long-term contracts. The defense companies must be held accountable for communicating with companies from other European countries to ensure prompt delivery, Strack-Zimmermann concluded.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Calls for 5% of GDP for Defense Spending
