Within days of Russia launching its invasion of Ukraine, Olaf Scholz announced a Zeitenwende, or “historical turning point.” This German chancellor promised a security transformation by increasing defense spending, sending more aid to Ukraine, taking a tougher stance against authoritarian states, and rapidly reducing Germany’s dependence on Russian energy. However, two years later, the German Council on Foreign Relations published a report stating that Scholz’s transformation had yet to deliver meaningful change.
Germans expect a stronger military presence to tackle the continent’s threats as the biggest economic power in Europe. Recently, Friedrich Merz has vowed to have the strongest conventional army in Europe, hosted the Ukrainian president, and attended the unveiling of German troops in Lithuania, the first permanent stationing of German troops on foreign soil since the second World War. Critically, he released the debt brake, allowing for much-needed spending on the Bundeswehr, Germany’s military.
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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/31/germany-vow-step-up-militarily-rhetoric-struggle-match-reality
