German foreign minister skeptical on defence spending boost
TALLINN, Estonia — Germany’s foreign minister voiced his skepticism Wednesday about plans to increase the country’s defence spending to meet NATO targets, saying it could raise concerns in Europe by turning Germany into “a military supremacy.”
Sigmar Gabriel, whose Social Democratic Party is Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partner, said a decision by Germany to raise defence spending from around 1.3 per cent of its gross domestic product today to NATO’s target of 2 per cent could cause angst elsewhere in Europe, given the country’s militaristic past.
“This would be a defence supremacy, a military supremacy in Europe,” he said during a visit to the Estonian capital of Tallinn. “I think our neighbours wouldn’t like to see this in 10 to 15 years.”
NATO has for years urged members to increase defence spending to reach targets, and the issue has been seized upon recently by U.S. President Donald Trump.