German, British military chiefs call for urgent European defense buildup to deter Russia

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Top German and British military commanders on Monday called for urgent European rearmament, warning Russia's increasingly westward military focus poses a growing threat.

In an open letter published in The Guardian and Die Welt newspapers, German Chief of Defense Carsten Breuer and British Chief of Defense Staff Richard Knighton said their warning stems from daily intelligence indicating Russia is reorganizing its forces in ways that could heighten the risk of war.

“Its forces are rearming and learning from the war in Ukraine, reorganizing in ways that could heighten the risk of conflict with NATO countries,” the two commanders wrote. “Moscow’s military buildup, combined with its willingness to wage war on our continent, as painfully evidenced in Ukraine, represents an increased risk that demands our collective attention.”

The joint letter was a rare public warning from serving military chiefs about the threats facing Europe and the urgent need for a change in defense and security policy. Breuer, Germany's highest-ranking soldier, has recently been nominated by Berlin as a candidate for chair of NATO's Military Committee.

The commanders noted that their message was directed at individual citizens, explaining why NATO's decision to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP is necessary and why governments have committed to the largest increases in defense spending since the Cold War ended.

"Rearmament is not warmongering; it is the responsible action of nations determined to protect their people and preserve peace," they said. "Strength deters aggression. Weakness invites it."

The officers also emphasized that military readiness requires a robust European defense industry. "Ukraine shows us that industrial bases are key to sustaining and ultimately winning any major war," they said. "The increased defense spending under way across our countries proves that we are taking this seriously, as we cannot deter if we cannot produce."

The military leaders also highlighted the European Union's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, which will inject €150 billion ($178bn) into strengthening Europe's defense industrial base.