Germany ready for NATO leadership role, minister says

Germany’s foreign minister emphasized Berlin’s readiness to take on greater NATO leadership responsibility and called for a new burden-sharing arrangement reflecting Germany’s and Europe’s economic and military potential. He said Germany wants a stronger NATO with a greater role for Europe and proposed pooling industry capabilities through more intensive defense cooperation. He also stated Germany aims to reach NATO’s 5% spending target quickly and strengthen its defense capabilities. NATO’s 2025 summit set a future framework of at least 3.5% of GDP for defense spending plus an additional 1.5% for defense-related spending, totaling 5% annually by 2035. The minister also planned concrete proposals to continue strong support for Ukraine, including NATO benefits from Ukrainian defense industry achievements. NATO’s chief said many members are not contributing enough money to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

"“Our goal is a new burden-sharing arrangement that reflects Germany's and Europe's economic and military potential,” he said in Berlin before departing for Sweden, adding that “Germany is accepting its leadership responsibility.” “We want a stronger NATO with a greater role for Europe,” Wadephul said. “To achieve this, we want to pool the capabilities of our industries through more intensive defense cooperation.”"

"The minister added that Germany wants to reach NATO's 5% spending target and strengthen its defense capabilities as quickly as possible. At the 2025 NATO summit, the alliance agreed that member states should invest at least 3.5% of their gross domestic product in defense spending in the future. An additional 1.5% is to be allocated to defense-related spending, such as infrastructure, bringing the total target to 5% annually by 2035."

"Wadephul also announced that he intends to make “concrete proposals” on “how we can continue to strongly support Ukraine in defending freedom in Europe.” This includes ways in which NATO can benefit from the Ukrainian defense industry's impressive achievements, according to the German minister."

"Meanwhile, Mark Rutte, the chief of the military alliance, said that many NATO members are not contributing enough money to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's full-scale invasion. Rutte told reporters in the Swedish city of Helsingborg ahead of the NATO ministers' meeting that aid to Ukraine “is not evenly distributed now wi"

Read at www.dw.com