He called for an increase in the defense budget to five percent of NATO’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In this way he expressed his solidarity with the margins proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, in the midst of an increase in geopolitical tensions on the planet.
The politician was quoted by Der Spiegel magazine, after talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday on the sidelines of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in the city of Antalya (Türkiye).
Last year, Germany reported spending of 90 billion euros on defense, the equivalent of 2.1 percent of its GDP.
The total amount includes €51 billion from the regular defense budget, just over €20 billion from the Bundeswehr special fund, and just under €20 billion from other defense-related expenditures.
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