Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of the town of Shebaa
Al-Qassam Brigades: The targeting took place at the intersection of 'Street 5' with the western line north of Khan Younis
Al-Qassam Brigades: A NIMR armored personnel carrier carrying an Israeli soldier was targeted with an Al-Yassin missile north of Khan Younis
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes
Israeli media outlet: Security incident reported in the Gaza Strip
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police

Scholz rejects Trump's bid to raise NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 9 Jan 2025 19:43
4 Min Read

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius echoed Scholz's stance, describing the proposed 5% target as unrealistic.

Listen
  • x
  • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a statement at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a statement at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has voiced his opposition to a suggestion from US President-elect Donald Trump that NATO countries increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. Scholz argued that such a figure is excessive and deviates from the alliance's established framework.

In an interview with Focus Online, Scholz remarked, "That's a lot of money," adding that NATO already has "a very clear procedure" regarding member contributions. He highlighted that the current target for alliance members is set at 2% of GDP.

Breaking down the numbers, Scholz explained that meeting a 5% target would require Germany to allocate approximately €200 billion annually, a figure that dwarfs the country's current federal budget of €490 billion. "And that's why I think it's better to concentrate on the path that NATO has long agreed on," Scholz concluded.

While Scholz acknowledged the need for Germany to enhance its contributions to security, he emphasized that Berlin has already made significant progress. Over recent years, Germany has nearly doubled its annual defense spending to €80 billion. Following the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, the country also committed a one-time investment of €100 billion to modernize its military.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius echoed Scholz's stance, describing the proposed 5% target as unrealistic. "I don't know which country will be able to afford that," Pistorius said during a meeting at the Ramstein airbase in southern Germany. He noted that what matters is not percentages but NATO's ability to achieve its capability goals, stating, "It's not a question of percentages but rather how NATO's capability goals are defined and met."

Read more: UK leading NATO's eastern flank drills with 2,600 troops, 730 vehicles

Related News

Trump approves Patriot missiles to Ukraine, bills EU for costs

Russia slams US-Denmark military pact as threat to its security

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz on Wednesday expressed similar concerns, stating that while Germany plans to increase defense spending, he would not commit to the NATO defense spending target proposed by Trump.

"We first really have to reach the 2% lower limit in Germany. We are not there yet," Merz told Bayerischer Rundfunk.

German Recession

This comes as Germany faces its most brutal recession since WWII. A report published by the Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI) on January 4 revealed that the German economy contracted by 0.3% in 2023, 0.2% in 2024, and 0.1% in 2025, marking the longest downturn since the post-war era.

HRI chief economist Bert Rurup described the crisis as Germany’s "greatest in post-war history," citing demographic challenges and an aging population that have reduced annual growth potential to 0.5%. Rising energy costs, driven by the loss of access to Russian gas and reliance on more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, have severely impacted manufacturers and small businesses, leading to shutdowns and bankruptcies.

The Nord Stream pipeline destruction in 2022 and Russia's suspension of gas transit to the EU in January 2025 further strained Germany's energy supply. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized the shift away from Russian gas, calling it a "win-win situation" that stabilized energy prices in the past.

Economic concerns now dominate public discourse, with polls identifying it as the top voter priority. These issues contributed to the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government in November, prompting an early general election scheduled for February 23.

Read more: German opposition's chancellor candidate backs trade talks with Trump

  • Nato
  • Olaf Scholz
  • Germany
  • Nato Alliance
  • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS