Germany accelerates military spending

Germany is planning to boost defense spending to reach new NATO targets well ahead of schedule, seeking to bolster self-reliance amid fracturing ties with the US.

Under the proposal, Berlin would increase its budget by one fifth in 2027 compared to this year, requiring it to borrow upwards of $200 billion to revive its military industry and modernize crumbling infrastructure. Germany joins other European nations seeking to break from a dependence on the US, but the transition could take years — and they may never fully stand on their own, experts said.

The US military commitment to Europe may be fraying, the Financial Times’ Gideon Rachman wrote, “but the two sides remain locked in an unhappy marriage for now.”