The 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague marked a critical juncture for the Western alliance and, more significantly, for Germany’s evolving role in Europe’s security architecture. Among the key takeaways was the adoption of a new target: each member state should allocate 5 percent of its GDP to defense spending by 2035. For many countries, this is a bold leap. For Germany, it is nothing short of historic.

After decades of military restraint rooted in the trauma of two world wars, Germany is now embracing rearmament on a scale unseen since 1945. Under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the country is not merely boosting its defense budget-it is reshaping its national identity, assuming a more assertive stance within NATO, and preparing to lead rather than follow in matters of European defense.

This dramatic transformation comes amid longstanding tensions within NATO regarding burden-sharing. For years, US officials-especially President Donald Trump-have criticized European allies for underinvesting in their own defense while depending heavily on American military power. In 2024 alone, the US defense budget stood at a staggering $935 billion, more than double the combined defense spending of the remaining 31 NATO members. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this imbalance became painfully evident. Europe, collectively, lacked the logistical capacity, rapid deployment mechanisms, and munitions stockpiles to effectively respond without US support.

Germany, traditionally reluctant to project military power, now finds itself at the center of a seismic shift. The Merz administration has committed to building the Bundeswehr into “the strongest conventional army in........

© Blitz