German troops have been permanently deployed for the first time since World War II. A brigade of 4,800 German soldiers is now positioned in Lithuania on NATO’s eastern flank. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is eager to wage war on Russia, stating, “The security of our Baltic allies is also our security.”
“Anyone who threatens an ally must know that the entire alliance will jointly defend every inch of NATO territory,” Merz said. The 45 Armored Brigade, headquartered in Rudninkai, will also include hundreds of civilian staff members and is expected to operate at full capacity by the end of 2027 with over 5,000 soldiers. Lithuania announced earlier this month that it is increasing its military spending to 6% of GDP, or approximately $1.2 billion.
Germany firmly believes it has unlimited funds to spend on the war. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced that Germany will spend 5% of its GDP on NATO, claiming the nation was offering “the five percent that President Trump demanded.” Merz, who served in the Bundeswehr, declared that “the government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.”
Germany has already allocated a billion to the war in Ukraine. Two-thirds of the Bundestag Parliament voted to remove military spending from the Constitutional debt brake. The AfD opposed this plan, as did their opposite, Linke. The nation had implemented strict spending guidelines in its Constitution. They have been fearful of accumulating debt and previously had a fixed debt brake at 0.35% of GDP. Now, any amount over 1% of GDP will not face a borrowing cap. Therefore, Germany can now spend any amount on defense with no concern for the future.
History repeats because the desires of man never change. Unfortunately ,the models indicate that the third time will NOT be a charm.
