threat posed by Russia<\/a> is the starting point for Germany\u2019s new military strategy \u2013 the first the country has produced since the end of World War II. A declassified summary was published by Berlin in April. It asserts broader German leadership for European security.<\/p>\nOn Thursday, German police disarmed an explosive-laden drone discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at an airport in the country\u2019s east. Authorities said they were investigating the drone\u2019s origin, which Germany\u2019s interior minister said represented \u201ca new level of danger.\u201d The Journal reported last week that U.S. intelligence assessments say Russian President Vladimir Putin could seek to test the resolve of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation with a limited attack on one of its members in coming years.<\/p>\n
Germany massively boosted its defence budget after Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Berlin and other European capitals have also been under pressure from President Trump to spend more and take greater responsibility as Washington fights Iran and seeks to give priority to Asia and the Americas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWashington is perceiving China as its first strategic priority,\u201d Gen. Breuer said. \u201cFor us, for geographical reasons, Russia is our first priority.\u201d Given its location and the size of its economy \u2013 Europe\u2019s largest \u2013 Germany should take a leadership role, Gen. Breuer argues. He says Germany aims to provide the \u201cstrategic glue\u201d aligning the Baltic, Nordic and eastern front-line states with the rest of Europe.<\/p>\n
Gen. Breuer is a leading candidate to become the next chair of the NATO\u2019s military committee in September. The chair, who serves as principal adviser to the alliance\u2019s secretary-general, is elected by national defence chiefs.<\/p>\n
In a sign of Germany\u2019s changing role in European defence, Poland and Germany in June signed a new military cooperation agreement that will further strengthen the NATO allies\u2019 ability to fight together, while expanding joint work on cybersecurity and space.<\/p>\n
That Poland, which has been invaded and occupied by Germany, is deepening military ties with Berlin shows how seriously both countries take threats from Russia.<\/p>\n
A Russian cruise missile in July crashed in eastern Poland. The missile was likely targeting Ukraine, roughly 60 miles away, but NATO officials suspect Moscow has been testing alliance defences with stray drones and missiles in recent years.<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s defence plans have also received positive reviews from Washington. Undersecretary of War Elbridge Colby wrote on X about Berlin\u2019s \u201chistoric, highly laudable new military strategy and program.\u201d Among Germany\u2019s spending priorities are intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; space systems and air defence, all things for which NATO has long relied primarily on the U.S. Unmanned air, sea and land drones are also critical, Gen. Breuer said.<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, has pledged to spend 30 billion euros, equivalent to about $35 billion, by 2030 on satellites and other space assets. And Germany recently signed a deal with the U.S. under which it will produce Tomahawk missiles \u2013 important for long-range precision strikes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the resources. We are building a deterrent that will be powerful,\u201d Gen. Breuer said.<\/p>\n
For short-term needs, the German military and others on the continent will have to buy weapons that are available off-the-shelf. But Europe also needs to expand its defence industrial base, Gen. Breuer said. \u201cWe need to make ourselves more independent and sustainable.\u201d Write to The Wall St Journal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Russia has been systematically using drones to probe air defences in Europe, looking for weaknesses to exploit, 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