Finance Ministry Documents cast Doubt On Government's Pledge To Spend 1.5 Percent Of GDP On Defense

Germany is unlikely to meet a stated NATO goal of spending 1.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2024, according to a finance ministry document cited by Reuters. 

Tax revenues are likely to fall as the economy enters an anticipated slowdown, according to the document that was obtained by the news service. 

German defense spending is expected to rise to 1.3 percent of GDP this year, up from 1.2 percent of GDP in 2018. 

Maintaining this level of spending would require funds beyond the 7.3 billion euros (US$8.34 billion) that Berlin has set aside for defense and development aid until 2022. 

Berlin would need to spend significantly more to reach its goal of 1.5 percent of GDP for defense. Defense Minister Urusula von der Leyen emphasized that negotiations over the 2020 budget had just begun and that the ruling coalition partners had agreed to increase military spending to the 1.5 percent mark. 

On Monday,  von der Leyen said Berlin would fund improvements worth 110 million euros (US$125 million) to military bases in Latvia, where Germany leads a force of 1,200 NATO troops.