German vice chancellor calls for increased defense spending to thwart possible Russian attack

BERLIN 

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck on Friday called for a significant increase in defense spending beyond the target agreed in an effort to fend off a possible Russian attack on his country.

“According to expert calculations, around three and a half percent of our economic output will be needed for defense in the next few years. I share that,” Habeck told German newsweekly Der Spiegel.

“We have to spend almost twice as much on our defense so that (Russian President Vladmir) Putin doesn't dare to attack us. We must secure peace and prevent further war,” he added.

Habeck who is also the Green party’s candidate for chancellor in the early general election on Feb.23, stressed “an aggressor like Putin coldly exploits weakness.”

The minister’s comments followed recent remarks by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius who warned on Dec.22 that hybrid attacks were being launched from Russia and that the target of these attacks was Germany.

"Putin is engaging in hybrid attacks, and Germany is particularly in focus. He knows us well, Putin knows how to needle us," Pistorius told Funke Mediengruppe newspapers.

Defining a hybrid war as a "combination of classic military operations, economic pressure, computer attacks and propaganda in the media and social networks," he said that the attackers' aim was specifically to destabilize societies.

Noting that it was important for Germany to prepare itself against these attacks, Pistorius said: "We must prepare ourselves so that we can confidently confront Putin's threat.

"If we ignore the threat because it makes us uncomfortable, it won't get smaller, it will get bigger."

Pistorius added that everything in their power should be done to prevent Putin's strategy from working.

The current NATO goal stipulates that the alliance states invest at least two percent of their gross domestic product in defense. According to the latest NATO figures, the federal government has reported defense spending of around 90.6 billion euros (93.3 billion USD) to the alliance this year. According to estimates, this could correspond to a GDP share of around 2.1%. In addition to the USA, only four of the 32 NATO states are likely to have reached a mark of three percent in 2023.

Germany is currently meeting the NATO target with the 100 billion euro special fund for the country’s military, which is financed through debt. The money from this special fund is expected to be spent by the end of 2027.