BERLIN — Germany released a new military strategy in late April 2026, which identifies Russia as a threat to the country. The strategy states that Europe must provide its own conventional defense within NATO.

This new military strategy is accompanied by a National Security Strategy and a Plan for the Armed Forces. Roderich Kiesewetter, a commentator, said, "But let me pour a little cold water on that." He noted, "A form of military strategy has always existed." Yet he added, "Even the new military strategy, released in late April, reads more as analysis than as a clear set of operational instructions for the Bundeswehr." He further stated, "It sets no concrete force-building targets to review annually and trigger a political response when not met."

Kiesewetter said, "The Bundeswehr's focus on the threat Russia poses is sensible, as is the recognition that Europe must provide its own conventional defense within NATO, as the United States clearly has other priorities." He added, "Modernizing the Bundeswehr's capabilities in these areas is absolutely essential." Regarding specific capabilities, he said, "The mention of capability development in long-range precision weapons also reflects lessons learned from the Russo-Ukrainian War." However, he critiqued the current status, stating, "In reality, Germany is currently unable to fulfill its NATO obligations, particularly as a logistics hub." He also observed, "I see it as positive that Germany is approaching European defense from a position of national strength, rather than trying to compensate for missing capabilities through cooperation."

Kiesewetter said, "Berlin has thus sought to signal to Washington — particularly with an eye toward next month's NATO summit in Ankara — that Europe is ready to shoulder conventional defense on its own and relieve the United States of this burden." He added, "Germany will take the lead." He noted, "The United States benefits from a strong Europe, and for Europe, Russia is the greatest threat — even if President Donald Trump sees it differently." At the same time, he said, "the approach of the strategy sends another signal: The Indo-Pacific and the Near and Middle East are not priorities." He continued, "The analysis is not convincing in some respects, as it ignores how China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (the so-called CRINK alliance) cooperate militarily and technologically against NATO's values and interests in every theater."

Under the strategy, the Bundeswehr aims to be capable of defending Germany by 2029 and become Europe's strongest conventional army by 2039. Key capabilities such as full connectivity, digitization, AI-supported situational awareness, precision strikes, and air defense are not expected to be in place until 2035. Kiesewetter said, "The aim here is to prop up leadership claims with a document, rather than to prove them by taking on responsibilities Germany could already shoulder today." He concluded, "The military strategy is thus a document shaped by politics rather than military advice." He added, "The current military strategy carries this failure in three fatal flaws: an inconsistent timeline, no operationalization of the battlefield's technological and economic transformation, and no structural changes within the Bundeswehr." He stated, "Under this unambitious plan, Germany can neither contribute to alliance defense while maintaining national defense simultaneously, nor sustain this effort in the long term."

The strategy plans for 460,000 soldiers, including reservists. The federal government agreed to a new version of volunteer service for the military. Kiesewetter said, "Military leaders know that the German Army alone requires over 200,000 active-duty soldiers to ensure deterrence and sustainability." He added, "The federal government agreed to a new version of the volunteer service and set the recruitment targets so low that they could easily be met, in order to avoid a new debate on conscription."