NATO Summit: Germany Declares Record 4.5 Trillion Yen Defense Spending

(Central News Agency, Berlin, July 8) - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit kicked off today in Ankara, Turkey. According to NATO's latest statistics, Germany's declared defense spending for 2026 is 124.7 billion euros (approximately 4.5 trillion yen), a new record high, though it falls short of the target set by NATO last year. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that he will explain Germany's continuous efforts to increase defense spending in recent years to NATO member states at the summit.

According to a report by the German Press Agency (DPA), NATO (NATO) released the latest defense spending figures for its member states today. Based on the data submitted by the German government to NATO, Germany's defense spending for 2026 is projected to be 124.7 billion euros, an increase of 25.5% from approximately 99.3 billion euros last year, a rise of about 25.4 billion euros. This represents the largest annual increase in Germany's defense spending in recent years, with the total expenditure ranking second only to that of the United States among NATO member states.

According to NATO's calculation method, which adjusts for inflation and exchange rates, Germany's defense spending this year accounts for 2.69% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), up from 2.22% last year. However, this is still a considerable distance from NATO's required benchmark of 3.5% for core defense spending.

Last year, NATO leaders agreed at the Hague summit to increase core defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 at the latest. Additionally, they committed to allocating 1.5% of GDP to defense-related areas such as cybersecurity and military infrastructure, bringing the total defense-related expenditure to 5% of GDP.

According to NATO's projections, five member states will reach the 3.5% core defense spending target this year. Lithuania leads with 5.33% of its GDP, followed by Estonia at 5.10%, Latvia at 4.92%, Poland at 4.68%, and Greece at 3.65%. The United States stands at 3.17%.

Since returning to the White House last year, U.S. President Donald Trump has continuously urged NATO member states to increase their defense spending and assume greater defense responsibilities. On the eve of this year's Ankara summit, Trump once again criticized European countries for insufficient defense spending, specifically naming Germany's spending as far below that of the United States on his personal social media, describing the situation as "Ridiculous."

In response, both German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte refuted Trump's remarks. Rutte pointed out that European allies and Canada have increased their defense spending by hundreds of billions of euros in recent years, demonstrating Europe's ongoing efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities and respond to NATO's common security needs.

Merz, speaking at a press conference before the Ankara summit, stated that NATO is becoming "more Europeanized." As the largest member state of the European Union, Germany is taking on greater responsibility for European security and will explain Germany's continuous efforts to increase defense spending in recent years to NATO member states at the summit. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150708

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