Germany is a slacker
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Why, despite Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, does Germany, the continent’s strongest economic power and a close U.S. ally, continue to neglect its defense? Simply put, as long as the United States serves as Europe’s primary security guarantor and Russia’s armed forces prove themselves inadequate, Germany has no reason to seriously reform their defense policy or invest in costly defense expenditures.
From Berlin’s perspective, this strategy makes perfect sense. The United States remains committed to bearing the primary burden of Europe’s defense, with the Biden administration sending an additional 20,000 troops to the continent, bringing the total to 100,000 U.S. troops in Europe—almost 40,000 of which are stationed in Germany. In addition to enjoying permanent U.S. protection, threat perception also contributes to Germany disregarding defense. Russia’s military has proven itself to be inadequate, experiencing repeated failures on the battlefield. As Moscow struggles to maintain control over relatively small territories in an adjacent country, the Cold War fear of Russian tanks storming toward the Rhine is unimaginable. Germany therefore has little to fear from conventional Russian forces.
