Russia is concerned about Germany’s strengthening of its military capabilities
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that the plans to strengthen the German army, which Berlin recently revealed, are very worrying.
“The recent statements by new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who pledged to make Germany the largest military power in Europe, are very worrying,” he explained during a conference in Moscow.
“Many people immediately thought of the periods in the last century when Germany was twice the world’s greatest military power and the tragedies that caused,” he added, referring to World Wars I and II.
Earlier this month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to make Germany the strongest conventional army in Europe in the face of the growing Russian threat and doubts about US protection on the continent.
He emphasized that strengthening the army is our absolute priority, pointing out that threat posed by Russia, which invaded Ukraine more than three years ago, stressing, “Anyone who thinks Russia will be satisfied with victory in Ukraine or annexing part of that country is mistaken”.
Germany has long been a pacifist since the Nazi atrocities and its defense funding has been very low, relying on US power within NATO.
Germany has undergone a strategic shift since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, significantly increasing its military budget under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also set a goal of building the strongest army in Europe.
The German army suffers from a lack of equipment, dilapidated facilities, and a burden of bureaucracy, according to several reports.
