Germany's security policy and the Trump administration: modified rhetoric and moderate commitments. OSW Commentary Number 232 | 22.02.2017

Gotkowska, Justyna (2017) Germany's security policy and the Trump administration: modified rhetoric and moderate commitments. OSW Commentary Number 232 | 22.02.2017. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

The new administration of President Donald Trump is pushing for its European allies to increase their defence budgets and their military commitment to international security to a much greater extent than previous US administrations. At the 53rd Munich Security Conference and the meeting of NATO defence ministers in February, the US Secretary of Defence Gen. James Mattis and the Vice-President of the United States Mike Pence spoke in this vein. This message is directed at Germany in particular, which has so far been unwilling to substantially increase its defence budget (in 2016 it stood at 1.19% of GDP, i.e. €34.2 billion), or to send the Bundeswehr to operations abroad.

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