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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to turn the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional army in Europe by giving it all the financial resources it needs to become so. Merz also said he would introduce a new volunteer military service.
"Strength deters aggression. Weakness, on the other hand, invites aggression," Merz said in his first statement to the Bundestag as chancellor, laying out his coalition government's priorities, Die Zeit reported.
Why it Matters
European allies have stressed the urgency of growing and improving their military capabilities to counter an increasingly belligerent Russia. The Trump administration has also urged NATO allies in Europe to shoulder more of the burden for their own defense.
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What to Know
In recent years, Germany has begun moving on from its historic reluctance to demonstrate military strength because of sensitivity to its role in World War II, a shift in attitude accelerated by the Russian threat.
Berlin has drastically increased its defense spending to shore up its own forces and provide Ukraine with military aid to help it fight off Russia's invasion, ongoing since February 2022.
German troops were deployed to Russia's border in their first permanent foreign deployment since 1945. The unit, which will be fully operational by 2027, is stationed in Lithuania along NATO's eastern flank.
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The Bundeswehr has around 181,600 active personnel, according to Global Firepower, which compiles military data.
For overall military power, the Global Firepower index ranks Germany third in the European Union (EU) behind Italy in second and France at the top. Within NATO, Germany ranks sixth in the military power index, behind Turkey in fourth, France in third, the U.K. in second, and the U.S. in first place.
The planned increase in German defense spending will please the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. expects NATO allies to build up to spending 5 percent of their GDP on defense, and Washington will also do the same.
"This is more than appropriate for the most populous and economically strongest country in Europe," Merz said of his plans for the Bundeswehr, POLITICO reported. "Our friends and partners also expect this from us, and what's more, they are actually demanding it."
What People Are Saying
Chancellor Merz promised to continue Germany's "strong" support for Ukraine, though he said Berlin would not become a party to the war. He also warned that the war's outcome will determine "whether law and order will continue to apply in Europe and the world in the future, or tyranny, military force and the naked law of the strongest," per Die Zeit.
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