As Germany commemorates the 70th anniversary of its NATO membership, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has issued a stark call to action: strengthening the German military must become the country’s central political undertaking in the years ahead.
Speaking during a ceremony in Brussels on Monday, Steinmeier underscored the urgency of Germany’s rearmament, framing it not merely as a domestic imperative but as a core responsibility to its allies.
“Germany is being called on, and we have heard the call, we have got the message,” the president declared.
Germany formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on May 6, 1955, becoming its 15th member. Since then, NATO has expanded to include 32 countries, adapting to new security challenges. Yet, as Steinmeier emphasized, today’s threats — particularly Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine — demand a dramatic reassessment of Europe’s defense architecture.
Addressing Germany’s historical burden, Steinmeier reflected on the nation’s long, difficult reckoning with its militaristic past. “Today, a badly armed Germany is a greater threat to Europe than a strongly armed Germany,” he noted, alluding to lingering German sensitivities rooted in the legacy of Nazi aggression during World War II.
It is a reality, Steinmeier suggested, that Germany’s partners have accepted more readily than Germans themselves.
The specter of history loomed large over his speech. In 1939, Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland ignited a global conflict that claimed over 60 million lives, including six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. In the postwar years, profound skepticism toward rearmament dominated German public debate, shaping national policy for decades.
Yet Steinmeier insisted that today’s drastically altered security environment leaves no room for hesitation. With the United States signaling a partial withdrawal from its traditional security commitments in Europe, the burden on European allies — especially Germany — is growing.
“We must confront Europe’s new security realities,” Steinmeier said, referencing not only Russia’s aggressive posture but also internal NATO dynamics.
Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. has increasingly pressured European allies to assume greater responsibility for their defense. Trump’s recent comments suggest Washington intends to limit its future role to nuclear deterrence, expecting Europe to handle conventional defense autonomously.
Already, U.S. contributions account for over 60% of NATO’s total defense spending, a figure many in Washington argue is unsustainable.
Against this backdrop, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte lauded Germany’s evolving role within the alliance. Speaking at the same event, Rutte described Germany as a “leading power in Europe and a driving force in NATO,” commending Berlin’s military support for Ukraine and its efforts to bolster NATO’s eastern flank.
Rutte further applauded Germany’s rising defense expenditures and future commitments, characterizing them as “a clear demonstration of German leadership.”
The ceremony, which also included German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius among the attendees, took place a few days ahead of the official anniversary date. This scheduling ensured that both Steinmeier and Rutte could participate before major political developments unfold in Berlin — notably, the planned election of Friedrich Merz as Germany’s new chancellor by the Bundestag on May 6.
Germany’s rearmament, once an unthinkable prospect, is now seen by its leadership as an unavoidable necessity — both to safeguard European security and to fulfill the obligations of a nation that has transformed from a historical aggressor into a linchpin of the transatlantic alliance.
