Germany’s defence spending boost will improve European security

In yet another sign of how dramatically Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed Europe’s attitude to both Russia and security, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has just announced that the country will spend two percent of GDP on defence by 2024. This is a significant move, Germany currently only spends about 1.5 percent on defence, and will make Germany the biggest defence spender in Europe.

Combine this with Berlin’s decision not to certify Nord Stream 2, its acceptance that it needs to reduce its dependence on Russian gas and its change of heart about sending arms into a war zone, and it is quite clear that the country’s strategic posture is very different today than it was a week ago. As Fraser has said, for Europe the world now divides into the time before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and after.t

The longer that Ukraine hold out, the more profound this shift in Europe’s approach will become.