Doha: Germany's Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has signalled readiness to raise the country's defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming years, as NATO allies consider new targets ahead of next week's summit.
According to Qatar News Agency, Klingbeil emphasized the importance of adapting to global changes over the past few years, stating that his top priority was ensuring the safety of the German people. Speaking at an event hosted by the Rheinische Post newspaper, Klingbeil stressed the necessity of increased investment in defence to meet these evolving challenges.
Currently, Germany plans to allocate 2% of its GDP to defence this year. However, Klingbeil indicated that this figure is likely to rise, particularly in light of discussions set to take place at the upcoming NATO meeting in The Hague. He suggested that the numbers could be "significantly higher" following the summit.
Klingbeil, who also serves as Germany's vice chancellor and is a member of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), advised against focusing solely on numerical targets in the defence spending debate. Instead, he urged for a broader discussion on the strategic necessities of increased defence investments.
The proposed increase aligns with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's suggestion that alliance members should commit to spending at least 3.5% of GDP on defence in the future. Rutte also mentioned the possibility of allocating an additional 1.5% for related expenditures, such as infrastructure, although no timeline has been set for these targets.