Germany to provide NATO with 35,000 troops from 2025
October 12, 2023
Germany will provide the NATO military alliance with 35,000 troops as of 2025, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, according to a report by the DPA news agency.
The announcement is linked to extensive plans — numbering some 4,000 pages — that have been drawn up by the alliance. They describe in detail how critical locations on NATO territory should be protected by deterrence, and defended in an emergency.
What we know about the plans
As many as 300,000 NATO troops and equipment are to be assigned for quick deployment from their home countries to a specific territory or country.
Germany will make some 200 aircraft and other key assets available for rapid deployment, Pistorius said. About 4,000 German soldiers are to be stationed permanently in Lithuania.
The plans have been made in light of Russia's war in Ukraine and are aimed at preparing the military alliance for worst-case scenarios such as an attack on a NATO member, either by Russia or a terrorist group.
The minister spoke as he arrived for the second day of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
He has previously said that Germany would have a dual role under the new plans. It would serve as a logistical hub for the deployment of troops and material while also beefing up defense capabilities on NATO's eastern flank.
Also on the agenda
NATO ministers will also be briefed by videolink on Thursday by their Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, about the situation in his country.
Defense chiefs are also set to discuss the alliance's involvement in Kosovo, where NATO's troop presence was recently boosted after mounting tensions between Kosovo and Serbia.
rmt, rc/sms (dpa)
While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing