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European NATO countries have increased their defense spending by more than €100 billion over the past year. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated this following the NATO summit in Ankara, UATV English reports, citing Ukrinform.
According to him, about €25 billion of the additional spending comes from Germany. Since 2022, Berlin has doubled its defense investments. Merz emphasized that the increased funding is linked to threats from Russia, including cyberattacks and sabotage.
“Over the past 12 months, European NATO members alone have increased their defense spending by more than €100 billion. Germany’s share of that is about €25 billion. We’ve raised our defense spending to nearly €125 billion. We will reach the 5% target agreed in The Hague well ahead of the set deadline,” Merz said.
It was previously reported that Norway is allocating an additional roughly €260 million to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. The funds will be used to purchase new missiles for Patriot systems, as well as to develop ballistic missile defense capabilities.
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