German Finance Chief Says Putin Threat Justifies Defense Buildup

Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil justified Germany’s massive ramp-up in military spending by arguing it’s essential to face down the threat from Vladimir Putin’s Russia and prevent German children ever having to experience war.

In a speech Tuesday presenting his 2025 finance plan to parliament, Klingbeil told Bundestag lawmakers that “European peace is in danger” and that the Bundeswehr armed forces are in urgent need of investment after being “crippled by budget cuts” in recent decades.