rki.news | Xinhua
BERLIN, May 22: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Friday that the federal government will spend 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence this year.
Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, he said Germany is moving toward the 5 percent target, according to local media Deutschlandfunk. NATO allies had agreed last year to raise defence spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
Wadephul also announced closer cooperation between European defence industries and Ukraine, saying Ukraine’s future military requirements should be continuously financed by European NATO partners and Canada.
On the announced withdrawal of US troops from Germany, he said it had always been clear that Washington would redeploy certain units. He also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to station 5,000 troops in Poland.
He reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to NATO burden-sharing and long-term European security cooperation, stressing sustained investment in modern defence capabilities to strengthen deterrence and stability across Europe.