Key facts
- Germany's cabinet approved a draft budget for increased defense spending.
- The budget allocates 20% of federal expenditure to defense in 2027.
- Germany plans to increase defense spending to nearly one-third by 2030.
- The spending increase aims to meet NATO targets.
- The move comes ahead of a summit addressing defense spending.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized European defense spending.
Germany's cabinet has approved a draft budget that signals a substantial increase in defense expenditure. The plan allocates 20% of the federal budget to defense by 2027, with a further projection to raise this figure to nearly one-third of federal spending by 2030. This significant boost in military investment is intended to help Germany meet the defense spending targets set by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The timing of this announcement is notable, as it precedes a summit where European leaders are expected to discuss and potentially address ongoing criticisms from U.S. President Donald Trump concerning the defense spending levels of European allies. Trump has frequently called for NATO members to increase their contributions to collective security, and Germany's proposed budget increase could be seen as a direct response to these pressures.