Germany escalates global military role and NATO spending

On Friday, German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen opened the Munich Security Conference reaffirming an increase in German military spending.

“We are aware that we must shoulder a greater share of the transatlantic security burden. We want to grow, we want to do it as Europeans,” said Von der Leyen.

Missed the speeches by #SecDef Mattis and von der Leyen at #MSC2017?

Here they are in our media library:https://t.co/mz24mDH4to pic.twitter.com/N7tf8mpb4v

— Munich Security Conference (@MunSecConf) February 17, 2017

Also on Friday, Prime Minister Angela Merkel held a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Berlin. While being questioned by journalists on President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to get NATO members to increase defense spending, Merkel reaffirmed a commitment to raise German military spending to 2% of its GDP by 2024.

The Munich Security Conference started in 1963 as an informal gathering for top security policy decision makers. Today it has over 450 representatives from around the globe. U.S. statesman Henry Kissinger was one of the initial participants in the 1963 MSC.

The conference takes place in a changing security environment during the first weeks of the new Trump administration. In spite of growing hostility between NATO and Russia, the incoming administration has pledged to decrease tensions, and was praised for a “less confrontational and more political approach” by Kissinger at the Davos World Economic Forum.

Nonetheless, the ongoing tensions on the European-Russian border were at the forefront of the Minister’s Speech.

“Last week, together with the president of Lithuania, I welcomed the first German soldiers taking part in the advanced forward presence mission in Lithuania,” said Von der Leyen, referring to the deployment of over 1000 German soldiers.

#NATO doesn’t want a new Cold War, but we will combine dialogue with credible deterrence, says SG #Stoltenberg. pic.twitter.com/8gFGKNOjAH

— Germany at NATO (@GermanyNATO) February 16, 2017

NATO’s enhanced forward presence is a clear demonstration of transatlantic unity and resolve https://t.co/QHMVtjkVAB #eFP pic.twitter.com/LONbOFXtbs

— NATO (@NATO) February 18, 2017

FM @LinkeviciusL welcomes @NATO #eFP soldiers who are being
deployed in #Lithuania. #BGLTU @GermanyNATO @BelgiumDefence #AlliedStrong pic.twitter.com/69SAhEOINw

— Lithuania MFA (@LithuaniaMFA) February 8, 2017

Friday, Lithuanian prosecutors opened an investigation into a false rape report against German troops, amidst rumors that the accusation was a piece of cyber warfare from the Russian state.

German army battles ‘fake news’ of rape reports in Lithuania https://t.co/Yh7mFzEjAo pic.twitter.com/OvC7gGWkvo

— The Local Germany (@TheLocalGermany) February 17, 2017

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