Berlin | Germany must assume a leading military role in Europe, the country’s defence minister has said, underscoring how Russia’s war in Ukraine has transformed Berlin’s strategic thinking.
Christine Lambrecht made her comments as Ukraine pressed on with its counter-offensive in the east of the country, and Russia vowed to continue with the invasion until all its military goals were met.
The war has increased pressure on Germany to step up its contribution to the Western alliance, despite historic reservations over playing a bigger role after World War II. Ms Lambrecht argued Berlin was doing so for reasons “to do with our size, our geographical location, our economic power, in short with our heft”.
In comments to the German Council on Foreign Relations, she added: “That makes us a leading power, whether we like it or not – in the military sense, too.”
Ms Lambrecht said the US would remain Europe’s main protector and there could be “no substitute for the American nuclear deterrent for the foreseeable future”.
The UK and France, both nuclear powers, have been Europe’s strongest military forces for more than 70 years.
But she argued the rise in tensions between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan and a US pivot to the Asia-Pacific region meant “we are called on to do more than before for Europe”. She added: “Germany is prepared to make a decisive contribution to fair burden-sharing.”
Read the article by Guy Chazan in the Financial Review.