Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described NATO member states' agreement to increase defense spending as "logical and necessary".
Following Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine in early 2022, the level of threat to the countries of the European Union has increased, and two percent of the gross domestic product for defense is no longer enough.
“We must become capable of peace through military force“, Merkel told journalists in Schwerin, quoted by DIE ZEIT.
The former chancellor said that attacks can best be prevented by developing a deterrent effect and at the same time by trying to maintain diplomatic contacts. “This is how we got through the Cold War and this is how we must get through the future. It is good that we are talking to Russia again. Without talks, this war will certainly not end“, Merkel stressed.
The former chancellor expressed criticism of the actions of the Israeli military in the war in Gaza. It is undeniable that the terrorist organization Hamas is extremely brutal and has no qualms about using people as human shields. "Yet I believe that the way Prime Minister Netanyahu is fighting this fight is very harsh, I would almost say heartless," Merkel said.
She is not convinced that Hamas can be destroyed in this way. That is why it is reassuring that there are also protests in Israel against the government's actions. "At the moment, my political heart beats more for the demonstrators who want a ceasefire and hope that one will come," Merkel said. But it is clear that Israel needs to do something to strengthen its security. The country faces a difficult task in this regard.