German defense minister urges for ‘drastic’ budget increase

(MENAFN) German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is pushing for a significant increase in the country’s defense budget, according to a report from Reuters citing government insiders. Pistorius, who remains in office under the new administration of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has previously warned that Germany must prepare for a potential war scenario involving NATO by 2029, pointing to a worsening global security climate. Russia has dismissed his claims as baseless.

Pistorius reportedly aims to raise Germany’s military spending to more than €60 billion ($68.2 billion) in 2025, a sharp jump from the €51.8 billion allocated for 2024. In a prior interview, he proposed expanding the defense budget to as much as €90 billion ($102 billion) annually by 2028 to meet evolving threats.

In 2024, Germany's total military expenditure already reached €90 billion when including special funds—marking the first time Berlin met NATO’s defense spending benchmark. The push for increased military investment comes as the U.S. intensifies pressure on European NATO allies to take greater responsibility for their own security. In April, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized this point to Pistorius, urging swift implementation of spending increases.

Chancellor Merz, a strong backer of Ukraine, recently unveiled a new aid package for Kyiv that includes armored vehicles, air defense systems, and howitzers. He also expressed willingness to supply long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine—a stance his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, avoided due to concerns over direct conflict escalation with Russia.

In response, Moscow has issued warnings that any German-supported missile strike on Russian assets would be considered active German military involvement in the conflict. Russian officials have also condemned the broader militarization of the EU, accusing the bloc of becoming a militarized extension of NATO and escalating tensions in Europe.

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