Angela Merkel

22:26
Today
Telegraph

UKRINFORM

World news: German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, believes that NATO must be able to defend themselves.

NATO is facing new challenges and must change, improving ability to defend.

About that German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday, July 7, the podcast dedicated to the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels, in which she will participate.

“We need NATO in the XXI century as the guarantor of our security and the transatlantic Alliance”, – said Merkel.

She reminded that in recent years the challenges for NATO has changed dramatically, particularly after the annexation of the Crimea and in connection with the “military activity in the East of Ukraine”, which was forced to make radical changes.

“This means that we again pay more attention to the protection of the Alliance and take precautions, including through military presence in Central and Eastern Europe”, – said the Chancellor . At the same time, she added, the Alliance is interested in keeping a “discreet relationship” with Russia, but must show that is determined to defend.

Merkel also touched on the issue of increasing defence spending, assuring once again in readiness to move in the direction of increasing the military budget to 2% of GDP. The head of government reminded that during the cold war, Germany spent more. At present, the German armed forces need modernization, improving equipment and technologies to be able to respond to new challenges. At the same time, she promised, Germany will increase spending on aid for development (countries with German military advisers, helping in the training of their security forces), thus pursuing an integrated concept.