President Donald Trump‘s ongoing critique of Germany’s defense spending has seemingly spurred one of Europe’s wealthiest nations into action.
His remarks have prompted Germany to bolster funding for its military forces and infrastructure, which many critics argue are in dire need of improvement.
Richard Grenell, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first term, stated to Fox News Digital, “Multiple German leaders ignored President Trump’s warnings about Russia wielding energy as a weapon against them.”
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He continued, “The war in Ukraine and Putin’s invasion have made the new German leadership realize that Trump was indeed right about Germany enabling the very threat that turned on them.”
Trump appointed Grenell as presidential envoy for “special missions” in December.
Back in 2018, Trump criticized Germany’s reliance on Russian energy, cautioning at the U.N. General Assembly that “Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course. We are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers.”
During this speech, the camera captured the German delegation, including former U.N. Ambassador Christoph Heusgen and former Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who were seen laughing at Trump’s remarks.
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However, those smiles faded into anxiety when, four years later in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, prompting Germany to seek ways to reduce its dependency on Russian gas and avoid supporting Putin financially.
Matthew Kroenig, director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, told Fox News Digital, “Every U.S. presidential administration since Eisenhower has lamented European free riding, but mere requests have proven ineffective. Trump’s firm stance is yielding results that his predecessors could not achieve.”
“The ‘Trump effect’ stems partly from Trump prioritizing NATO burden sharing at the forefront of transatlantic security discussions and partly from genuine concerns that Washington might abandon NATO, leaving Europe to fend for itself.”
After Trump and Grenell encouraged Germany to awaken from its security slumber, Berlin committed to reaching the NATO goal of spending 2% of its GDP in 2024, marking the first time this benchmark has been met since 1991, at the Cold War’s conclusion.
Trump, however, suggested that Germany should allocate 5% of its budget to defense, asserting that the U.S. shoulders substantial costs to protect the nation.
Frustration regarding Germany and other European allies is captured in reported text exchanges between Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance.
“I fully share your disdain for European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC,” Hegseth remarked in response to Vance, who queried U.S. leadership in promoting security policies in the Red Sea against Houthi aggression and reopening shipping lanes.
Germany’s export economy greatly relies on free navigation in the Middle East, yet it has refrained from assisting the U.S. in combating the Iran-backed Houthi movement through military action. European nations, including Germany, have been reluctant to follow Trump’s lead in designating the Houthis as a terrorist group.
The so-called ‘Trump Effect’ has also influenced the German parliament’s decision to ease debt restrictions to fund military enhancements. Friedrich Merz, the anticipated new German Chancellor from the conservative Christian Democratic Union, stated he would do “whatever it takes” to restore Germany’s weakened military. Berlin’s mainstream political factions are planning to invest hundreds of billions of euros in defense and infrastructure. Reports indicate that Germany’s armed forces (Bundeswehr) were in disarray, with only 181,174 soldiers at the end of the previous year, with a target of expanding to 203,000 by 2031.
Challenges in recruitment persist in a nation historically inclined towards pacifism. Following two World Wars in the last century, Germany has emphasized the importance of multilateral institutions like the U.N. and diplomacy in resolving conflicts.
The Associated Press reported that Eva Högl, Germany’s parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, noted, “The biggest issue is boredom. If young people have nothing to do, if there isn’t enough equipment and trainers, and if facilities aren’t kept clean and orderly, it deters recruitment and makes the Bundeswehr less appealing.”
In a recent interview with German outlet WELT, historian Michael Wolffsohn, who has taught at the Bundeswehr University Munich, remarked on Germany and Western Europe’s historical failure to address their defense shortcomings, saying, “Now we are facing the consequences of our neglect.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the German Foreign Ministry for a detailed response regarding Trump’s claims that Berlin has persistently underinvested in defense while remaining tied to Putin’s energy supply despite his warnings.
