Speaking on Wednesday in Berlin alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Merz said Germany had underinvested for years and was now correcting course. The plan would put Germany several years ahead of NATO’s envisaged 2035 deadline for reaching 3.5% of GDP in core defense spending as part of the alliance’s new investment goals. That target forms the centerpiece of NATO’s wider 5% investment goal, which foresees 3.5% of GDP for hard military outlays and up to 1.5% for broader defense‑ and security‑related spending such as infrastructure and resilience. Earlier reports on Germany’s military build‑up outlined Berlin’s effort to reach the 3.5% benchmark by 2029, while NATO’s emerging framework allows up to 1.5% of GDP to be counted as defense‑ and security‑related expenditure. Rutte praised Germany’s plans but said that US backing remains central to Ukraine’s defense, adding that when it comes to Ukraine’s security, the United States is still indispensable.