[mewzilla]

He can’t count, either.

Germany hasn’t got the money.

But talk is cheap.

[BroJoeK]

mewzilla: "Germany hasn’t got the money.
But talk is cheap."

Germany, like everyone else, has been basking in its post-Cold War "peace dividend" for 35 years, and so has lost its military industrial capacity for a serious national defense effort.

But that was not always so:

1. During the Cold War West Germany spent up to 3.1% of GDP on defense (1975) and averaged ~2.5% over the entire period.

2. During 30 years of post-Cold War "peace dividend", German military spending dropped to barely 1% of GDP.

3. Today Germans spend just over 2% on defense.

4. Now plans call for increases to 3.5% by the 2030s.

So, 3.5% is aspirational and, even if achieved, still within the range of peak West German Cold War spending.
Further:

• Cold War West German active duty forces ran ~500,000.
  
• Today's German active military totals ~185,000 with increases planned to 260,000.

Meaning, at best, German military numbers will reach only about half the levels it maintained during the Cold War.

Yes, Germany is a large country in terms of its population and GDP, but it is still only 15% of Europe's total population and ~17% of Europe's total GDP.

IOW, Germany is not and cannot become a threat to Europe, but it absolutely can contribute greatly to Europe's defenses against Crazy Ivan Putinoviches.

Military Review 2018 article:

(left) Putin's Deputy Chairman of the Security Council,
Dmitry Medvedev showing Russian goals in Ukraine, 2024:

[Georgia Girl 2]

Germany isn’t the power house it used to be due to going green, supporting all the weak sisters in the EU and a zillion migrants.