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Germany pledges to make its military 'the backbone of defence in Europe'
REUTERS ^ | November 9, 2023 | Sabine Siebold

Posted on 11/09/2023 10:12:37 AM PST by McGruff

Germany will strengthen its military to make it the backbone of deterrence and collective defence in Europe, its defence minister pledged on Thursday as Berlin issued new defence policy guidelines for the first time in over a decade.

The 19-page document details what the "Zeitenwende" - the major shift of policy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - means for the workings of the Bundeswehr.

As a first step to bring the military back up to scratch after decades of attrition following the Cold War, Germany last year set up a 100 billion-euro special fund to purchase modern weapons and pledged to reach NATO's target of spending at least 2% of the national GDP on defence from 2024.

"With the Zeitenwende, Germany becomes a grown up country in terms of security policy," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said as he presented the guidelines, the first since 2011 when Berlin suspended conscription.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 4threich; fourthreich; homosexualnazis; pinkswastika
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1 posted on 11/09/2023 10:12:37 AM PST by McGruff
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To: McGruff

Vladimir Putin has done yeoman’s work in getting Europe to take collective security seriously. The Europeans are finally paying their fair share, and NATO is stronger than ever.


2 posted on 11/09/2023 10:14:08 AM PST by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
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To: McGruff

“And introducing Germany’s new defense minister, Mohammad Allahu Akbar.”


3 posted on 11/09/2023 10:15:38 AM PST by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
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To: McGruff

Because a strong Germany has always meant good things for Europe.


4 posted on 11/09/2023 10:16:01 AM PST by rightwingcrazy (;-,)
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Japan and Germany are getting the old gang back together.


5 posted on 11/09/2023 10:16:43 AM PST by Arkansas Toothpick
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To: McGruff
Seriously conflicted here - I've been calling for NATO countries to pony up for decades now, so I suppose I shouldn't be making the obvious jokes when they say they are, but it's tough to resist.

Once all the Germans were warlike and mean
But that couldn't happen again
We taught them a lesson in 1918
And they've hardly bothered us since then

Yes, it's cheap humor. So sue me.

6 posted on 11/09/2023 10:17:59 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: rightwingcrazy

Once the Germans were warlike and mean
But that couldn’t happen again
We taught them a lesson in 1918
And they haven’t bothered us since then

-Tom Lehrer


7 posted on 11/09/2023 10:18:21 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Billthedrill

Darnit! GMTA!


8 posted on 11/09/2023 10:19:01 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: McGruff

Its encouraging to see, but Germany has a long LONG way to go to being its military up to scratch. Their biggest security threat right now are all the military age muslim males they allowed to invade the country and live off of the public dole 5-6 years ago.


9 posted on 11/09/2023 10:19:04 AM PST by FLT-bird
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To: McGruff

What could go wrong?


10 posted on 11/09/2023 10:19:59 AM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this๐Ÿ’ฉ? ๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿ’‰! ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‘!)
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To: dfwgator

22 seconds. (Sound of unseemly chair dancing and self high fives...)


11 posted on 11/09/2023 10:20:44 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: McGruff
Oh goody, more Panzer divisions in Germany...

12 posted on 11/09/2023 10:23:13 AM PST by Waverunner
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To: McGruff
"Germany pledges to make its military 'the backbone of defence in Europe'"

Maybe they should try to invade Russia again, in order to take control of their oilfields. They didn't do so well that time round, to the point, that Germany became dependent on Russian oil for the next 70+ years.

13 posted on 11/09/2023 10:24:31 AM PST by mass55th (โ€œCourage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.โ€ โ€• John Wayne)
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To: McGruff

what could possibly go wrong.


14 posted on 11/09/2023 10:24:51 AM PST by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world or something )
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To: rightwingcrazy

NATO was founded to keep Germany in check.


15 posted on 11/09/2023 10:25:02 AM PST by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: rightwingcrazy

The thing is that Germany has been a state only since 1870 — that is far, far younger than France (8th century) or the UK (16th century) or even the Netherlands, Denmark or Sweden.

So it was trying to find its place in the world.

Germany won’t go back to its military ways as it has figured out how to dominate using its economy.


16 posted on 11/09/2023 10:25:41 AM PST by Cronos (I identify as an ambulance, my pronounces are wee/woo)
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To: McGruff

You know that Europe has gone to shit, when they look toward the country that started WWI and WWII to bail their collective, cowardly asses out of problems they created.

Pretty much Europe, this is your third strike.


17 posted on 11/09/2023 10:25:47 AM PST by Hodar (A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.- Burroughs)
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To: Alter Kaker
NATO is stronger than ever.

Let me fix it.

NATO is not as weak as before.

18 posted on 11/09/2023 10:25:49 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: FLT-bird

All the teutonic alpha males were killed off in 2 world wars.


19 posted on 11/09/2023 10:26:39 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: McGruff

20 posted on 11/09/2023 10:31:14 AM PST by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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