The likely future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that The proposed increase in the defense budget is needed to combat “aggressive war against Europe”that is led by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is reported to TASR, according to the AFP report.
“It is a war against Europe, not just against the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Merz said in parliament before the vote on the infrastructure package. According to Merza Russian aggression includes cybernets and espionage, arson, rented murders and disinformation campaigns that “They try to divide and marginalize the European Union”.
The chief of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) who won last month in the parliamentary elections claims that Europe is facing “aggressive Russia”, also “unpredictable United States”. Merz plans to exclude defense expenditure from strict rules for the debt of the country and Create an investment fund in infrastructure worth € 500 billion.
“I want it to be clear that I am in favor of doing everything in our power to maintain transatlantic cooperation. I consider it necessary, but we have to do our homework in Europe,” Merz.
“We need to be stronger. We have to ensure our own safety. It is our responsibility. Germany has a role in this leader and I believe that we should be ready to seize the leading responsibility, “Merz added.
According to Merza is an increase in the defense budget “The first big step toward the new European defense community”. Such a grouping could also include “countries that are not members of the European Union, but are interested in building European defense, such as the United Kingdom and Norway”.
