US bristles at Germany’s reduced defence budget plans

BERLIN – The United States is bristling at the suggestion Germany might miss its own defence spending target, which is already short of the NATO goal.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz’s budget plan, which is to be presented to cabinet on Wednesday, foresees Germany’s defence spending rising to 1.37 per cent of national income in 2020, but decline to 1.25 by 2023, according to the dpa news agency, which reviewed a copy of the proposal.

NATO countries have pledged to move toward spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government had pledged to increase spending to 1.5 per cent by 2024.

U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell told The Associated Press Monday the government’s consideration of “reducing its already unacceptable commitments to military readiness is a worrisome signal to Germany’s 28 NATO allies.”