Russia Threat Drives Germany to Become Europe’s Top Army

Germany is rapidly expanding its armed forces as officials warn that Russia’s growing military strength could threaten NATO territory within the decade.

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General Carsten Breuer, the country’s top military commander, says Berlin must act quickly to prepare for a potential confrontation. He argues that Moscow’s increased recruitment and weapons production could enable a major conflict with NATO by 2029.

Germany pushes major military build-up

Speaking at a military base in Munster, Breuer described the current security situation as one of the most dangerous in recent decades. He said Russia’s armed forces are expanding to nearly double the size they had before the war in Ukraine.

Germany has responded by accelerating plans to strengthen its own military. Defence spending is projected to reach €162 billion by 2029, up from about €95 billion in 2025. The expansion includes increases in equipment, munitions production and troop numbers.

Opinion polls show the plan enjoys strong domestic backing despite Germany’s long-standing caution about military power following the devastation caused by its armies during the 20th century.

Deployment near Russia’s borders

Germany’s growing role is visible in the Baltic region. The country now maintains a permanent military presence in Lithuania for the first time since the Nazi occupation during the Second World War.

Around 1,200 German soldiers are currently stationed there, with numbers expected to rise to nearly 5,000 by next year. The deployment is part of NATO’s effort to reinforce its eastern flank near Belarus, a close ally of Russia.

During recent exercises, Germany’s Panzerbrigade 45 armoured brigade carried out live-fire drills simulating a possible attack from the east. The region sits on the vast Great European Plain, a flat stretch of land historically used as an invasion route during major wars.

German officers stress that the military build-up is intended as part of NATO’s collective defence strategy rather than an attempt to dominate Europe.

Shift in policy and defence spending

Germany’s rearmament marks a sharp change in national policy. For decades after the Second World War, the country kept its military relatively limited while relying heavily on the United States and NATO for security.

That approach began to shift after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In 2025 the German parliament also loosened strict constitutional limits on borrowing to allow increased defence spending.

The government now aims to spend around 5 percent of its economic output on defence, a major jump from the roughly 1.2 percent average recorded between 2007 and 2017.

At the same time, Germany is working to reduce dependence on American military equipment by expanding domestic arms production and prioritising purchases from German manufacturers.

Europe’s security role evolves

Germany currently has about 182,000 active service members. Military leaders want to raise that number by roughly 20,000 within a year and by 60,000 over the next decade, supported by a reserve force of around 200,000 personnel.

Officials say the goal is deterrence rather than war. By strengthening its military capabilities and coordinating closely with NATO partners, Germany hopes to discourage any future aggression from Russia.

Analysts say the shift could place Berlin at the centre of Europe’s security framework as the continent reassesses its defence strategy in response to the war in Ukraine and uncertainty about long-term US involvement.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 28 March 2026

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