British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on 24 April 2024 to deepen our defence and security cooperation.[1] This is expected to open a new chapter in the UK-German defense partnership. They discussed common issues such as security, trade and illegal migration.
The two countries will launch a new joint industrial program to develop artillery systems. In this context, German companies have announced that they will invest more than 8 billion pounds in the UK. As a first step, the UK and Germany announced a joint work plan to develop the Remote Controlled Howitzer 155mm Wheeled Artillery System (RCH 155) to be mounted on Boxer vehicles.
A day before his visit to Germany, Mr. Sunak visited Poland and met with his counterpart Donald Tusk and then NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. During these meetings, the British Prime Minister announced a historic increase in the country’s defense spending to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.[2]
Stating that the defense partnership with Germany will be strengthened, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:[3]
“Britain and Germany are the powerhouses of Europe. Whether it is defending against Russian aggression or promoting economic growth and technological progress, we are stronger together. Today we are turning a new page in our relationship that will make us safer and more prosperous. At this dangerous moment for the world, Britain and Germany stand side by side to safeguard security and prosperity at home and on our continent.”
The leaders also discussed cooperation in energy and renewable energy, including the export of green hydrogen from the UK and Germany, and joint efforts to tackle organized migration crime. To emphasize, Germany is the UK’s largest trading partner in continental Europe, with bilateral trade worth 147.7 billion pounds in 2023. This commercial partnership is expected to be reflected in the defense sector in the future. Indeed, Germany has called on the UK to spend more on defense.[4] Germany is also preparing to reach NATO’s 2% defense budget target. In an interview with Politico, a senior German government official noted the following:[5]
“There doesn’t seem to be any plan to increase UK defense spending. We understand the UK’s fiscal constraints. But we all have the same fiscal constraints. If the UK still wants to play a leading role in European security, it needs to increase its spending.”
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the German Bundestag’s Defense Committee, also stated that the UK actually has the resources to “significantly” increase its defense spending. Strack-Zimmermann commented:[6]
“The visit of the British Prime Minister could not have come at a better time. If Europe wants to be resilient on its own, Russia’s advance must be stopped by Europe together with our partners. For that we need the British on board, and with significantly more commitment.”
General Sir Richard Barrons, a former senior army commander in the UK, warned that the British Armed Forces were “too small in terms of equipment, inadequately trained, poorly supported in terms of stocks and engineering.” The top commander said, “The Army knows this very well. It is certainly not prepared to take its place in NATO in a potential conflict with Russia”, the senior commander added.[7] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak disagreed, while experts have since warned that Britain may have no choice if the conflict with Putin escalates into a wider European or world war.[8]
On the other hand, the war in Ukraine has also revealed an important military reality about Germany. Germany, which minimized its army after the Second World War, is not prepared for war. This is an important national security problem. The fact that the majority of Leopard-2 tanks are no longer usable and in need of modernization, as well as the fact that the production of Taurus missiles has come to a halt, have revealed the significant challenges facing the German Army.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that anyone who is tired of supporting Ukraine should think about the consequences for Europe.[9] Rolf Mützenich, the leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the Bundestag, asked, “Isn’t it time not only to discuss how to wage war, but also how to freeze it and then end it?”[10]
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Germany has turned to overhauling its defense industry products and strengthening its army, which had been neglected for decades. However, there have also been significant bottlenecks in the Berlin government’s political decision-making process. At this point, Continental Europe is reluctant to continue this war, while the UK and the US are in favor of its continuation. In this context, it is still possible to analyze world politics through a zero-sum game and the politics of polarization. In this sense, it can be argued that Europe is signaling a return to the Cold War.
[1] “PM: UK and Germany open ‘new chapter’ in defence partnership”, Government of UK, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-uk-and-germany-open-new-chapter-in-defence-partnership, (Date of Access: 24.04.2024).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] “Germany urges UK’s Rishi Sunak to spend big on defense”, Politico, https://www.politico.eu/article/rishi-sunak-olaf-scholz-uk-germany-wants-rishi-sunak-to-spend-big-on-defense/, (Date of Access: 24.04.2024).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] “Ex-Army Chief Joins Calls For UK To Prepare For Conscription If Russia Attacks”, Msn, https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ex-army-chief-joins-calls-for-uk-to-prepare-for-conscription-if-russia-attacks/ar-BB1iTJiw, (Date of Access: 26.02.2024).
[8] “To beat Russia we must avoid same mistakes after World War One, says ex-British Army head”, Express, https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1870828/Russia-ukraine-war-news, (Date of Access: 26.02.2024).
[9] “German Finance Minister: Everyone tired of supporting Ukraine should think about consequences for Europe”, Pravda, https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/30/7448907/, (Date of Access: 26.02.2024).
[10] Ibid.
