BERLIN ¨C Budget infighting within Germany¡¯s governing coalition is jeopardizing its plan to meet defense commitments to Western allies even as tensions with Russia rise and a NATO-skeptic Donald Trump bids for a second term as U.S. president.
Since the 1990s Germany has thrown off its post-World War II aversion to military action. But it has faced criticism ¡ª not least from Trump in his first term ¡ª for repeatedly missing a NATO target of spending 2% of its economic output on defense.
Days after Russia¡¯s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz surprised allies by announcing a ¡±zeitenwende¡± ¡ª German for a historic turning point ¡ª with a €100 billion ($107 billion) special fund to bring the military back up to speed.
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