Germany's Bundeswehr bears no resemblance to an actual army
Confusion abounded this week when the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine could use western missiles to hit targets deep within Russia. 'There are no more range limitations for weapons delivered to Ukraine. Neither from the Brits, nor the French, nor from us. Not from the Americans either,' he said. The problem was twofold. Firstly, that is not the official policy of western allies. Secondly, Germany has not provided Ukraine with any long-range missiles.
Partly that is a political choice by Germany, but there is also the fact of the inherent weakness of the Bundeswehr itself. Merz's new government has recognised the limited nature of his military, vowing to build 'the strongest conventional army in Europe'. For that to happen, the Bundeswehr will need more than money. It needs to know what it is and what it's fighting for. Is Germany – still deeply scarred by its Nazi past – ready to build a military ethos fit for the 21st century?
Independent thinking has never been a priority for the Bundeswehr general staff. Rock-solid trust in US leadership was part of its very foundations. With those foundations eroding, Merz is trying to build his own as quickly as possible. He has promised to spend 5 per cent of GDP on the military and related infrastructure; this amounts to some €200 billion, four times what Britain spends on defence in any given year.
There is an irony in this promised military expansion: it's the result of Donald Trump's demands that Nato allies meet their obligations under the treaty. Even when it comes to greater German self-reliance, it seems that Washington is still calling the shots.
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