Berlin defends military budget increase after Trump remarks

Germany should not hesitate to defend its record on military spending, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday, July 2, responding to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently described Germany’s past defence efforts as “ridiculous”.

The issue of defence spending is expected to dominate discussions as NATO leaders prepare to meet next week in Ankara, where European governments are seeking to ease tensions with Trump over disputes including Iran and Greenland, while demonstrating greater commitment to the continent’s security.

“Germany is doubling its defence budget within four years. This is the greatest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defence capabilities. In this respect, we have no reason to shy away from anyone,” Merz told reporters.

“We will state this, with all due modesty, and we are doing so as the European Union’s largest member state, bearing a responsibility within Europe,” he added.

Trump earlier this week criticised NATO allies’ defence spending in a series of posts on Truth Social. “Ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one-sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal,” he wrote in one post. In another, he said Germany’s spending was “MUCH LOWER” between 2014 and 2025 than that of the United States or other NATO allies, adding, “Ridiculous!”

At a summit in The Hague last year, NATO leaders agreed to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP on core military capabilities, including weapons and personnel, by 2035 — raising the previous 2% target.

“We, too, take the Russian threat very seriously, and we are arming ourselves against it,” Merz said as he hosted leaders from the Baltic states in Berlin. “We will reach the 3.5% benchmark set in The Hague as early as 2029, well ahead of the agreed deadline.”

Relations within the alliance have been under strain over the past year. Trump has threatened to take Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark and launched a war against Iran that unsettled the global economy without prior consultation with European allies.

The conflict has also strained personal ties between Trump and several European leaders, including Merz, who said the United States was being humiliated by Iran.

By Tamilla Hasanova