Germany is trying to change its constitution to allow for more spending on the military. We are three years into the Russian Ukraine War.
Why did Germany wait? Uncle Sam was paying the bills.
The EU needs to straighten up. Some moral high ground, sarcasm.
Yes, for much of the military. Germany has targeted a much larger proportion of its aid toward financial and humanitarian assistance simply because the US has a much larger military/industrial complex and was seen as the weapons provider for decades. That’s now ended of course and Germany as well as the EU in total need to ramp up their drone-making and other military aid, perhaps to the detriment of humanitarian assistance. Ukraine’s survival is paramount.
Also, as Goofy pointed out, on a per capita basis, most European countries have provided much more aid to Ukraine than the US has.
Pete
Yes and this next change is long overdue.
The Central Europeans are becoming a military industrial complex based in supply side economics. I would not wish that on my enemies. But better the EU start to pay the price than the US continuing to domestically.
Because we really didn’t want them having a strong military. History. The same goes for Japan.
The delivery of the message is ugly. Let’s put it this way the hard core approach to saying what needs to be said is hurting us at home. So Japan and Germany start being much more responsive because the lack of change has been pushing us into our corners.
Japan has been slowly beefing up its military for years as they have warily watched China. Germany is later in their recognition of a threat (from Russia rather than China) and so we are seeing something of a jumpstart.
DB2
Last night, the news reported Macron is proposing doubling the size of the French army by 2030. Macron has been ramping up defense spending for a couple years. Putin did more to stiffen the backs of the Europeans than all the abuse, threats, and jive, DC could ever muster.
Steve
It is not that simple but yes DC has been crude and rude.