Alliance defense: Merz and Pistorius for German leadership role in NATO

70 years after the NATO joining Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed the claim of a German leadership role in the alliance. “In the next few years we will prize in the task of strengthening NATO’s European pillar,” said the CDU chairman at a ceremony for the anniversary in Berlin. With new funds, his government will do everything possible to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army of the European Union – “how it is appropriate to a country of our size and economic strength and how our Allies rightly expect from us”.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented similarly. “In order for our alliance to stay successful, we Europeans have to take on more responsibility,” said the SPD politician. “Germany will go ahead.” The Russian war of attack against Ukraine finally let the question of the relevance of NATO. Alliance defense is in the foreground again. “And together we will defend every centimeter of the NATO territory if it has to be,” said Pistorius.

Rutte describes Germany as “driving force in NATO”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte paid tribute to the increase in German defense spending and thankfully accepted the offer of a German leadership role in Europe. “Germany is a driving force in our alliance. We need its leadership role and their determined action.”

West Germany became the 15th member of the Transatlantic Defense Alliance on May 6, 1955. The Allianz now belongs to 32 countries – most recently, under the impression of the Russian attack war against Ukraine Sweden and Finland. At the NATO summit in the Haag, the alliance aimed to spend five percent of economic power for the defense area in the future.

Merz: “This alliance breathes”

NATO has thus set a sign of unity and determination “in historical times”, said Merz. “This alliance breathes, it lives and it bears our collective security.”

Before the ceremony, Merz met with Rutte in the Chancellery. He wanted to expand the Bundeswehr into an army with a “flagship character” in the NATO alliance, he said at a joint press conference. “We will create new equipment to a large extent, and we will pay particular attention to new technologies.” The Chancellor agreed that the great procurements for the Bundeswehr should be achieved in such a way that it strengthened the German and European defense industry.

Merz accuses Russia of “terrorism”

The Chancellor condemned Russia’s recent attacks on destinations in Ukraine. “We experienced the most massive bombing and rocket attacks last night that have been around since the beginning of the war. It is practically only civil goals. It is terrorism against the civilian population,” said Merz. And: “This has nothing to do with a war against military goals.”

The head of government promised Ukraine further support to improve air defense. Merz pointed out that this would be a topic on Thursday at a video conference of the so -called “coalition of the willing”. “Here, there are particularly other systems of air defense and I will also make corresponding offers that we could realize from Germany.”

Merz also welcomed that there were signals from the USA “to rethink Kiev’s support in the air defense again”. In this question he is “in a good exchange” with US President Donald Trump.

New patriot system for Ukraine from the USA?

According to a report, Trump is considering the delivery of an additional anti -aircraft system to Ukraine and thus indicating a possible change of course of his attitude in the war. According to “Wall Street Journal”, he is considering sending Kiev another Type Patriot air defense system in view of the massive Russian attacks. This would approved the delivery of a larger weapon system to Kiev for the first time, which goes beyond the number promised by the government of his predecessor Joe Biden. In the “coalition of the willing”, the allies of Ukraine have come together. Merz will switch to the video conference on Thursday by a Ukraine resignation conference in Rome.