Germany's bold military push

FOR DECADES, SOME in Europe talked up the need for “collective European defense,” a policy to sharply reduce dependence on Washington for military protection.

- - BY IAN BREMMER

German troops pose with a tank during NATO's Iron Wolf military exercises in Lithuania on May 16

The debate never got far because Britain and Germany saw no reason to jeopardize transatlantic ties with a drive for security independence. When Russia launched a full-on invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it quickly became clear that Europe's dependence on America for military muscle was deeper than ever.

Then Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, confronting European leaders with the reality that his commitment to Europe had become an open question—especially as war raged in Ukraine. Earlier this year, the center-right CDU/CSU won federal elections in Germany, elevating Friedrich Merz to Chancellor. Merz wasted no time in trumpeting a plan to dramatically boost Germany's role in Europe's defense.