Current problems of Europe

Policy of FRG at NATO today: Problems and prospects

Ф.О. Трунов

Trunov Philipp Olegovich – Ph.D. in political sciences, senior researcher, Department of Europe and America, INION RAS, senior researcher, Institute of World History RAS

Abstract

The paper attempts to explore the main trends of German policy at NATO in the middle – the second half of the 2010 s. The key method of scientific research is event analysis, the methodological basis is the process of building of armed forces (on the Bundeswehr example). The author notes Germany’s consistent aspiration to increase its role inside NATO (first of all on the political level) since the 1990 s, when the bloc’s main efforts were reoriented towards solving problems outside the Alliance’s traditional area of responsibility. The article considers the coming bid to the «deterrence» of Russia as the main NATO task and the emergence of the «Trump’s factor» as the two key potential obstacles for the further strengthening of German positions in the Alliance. The article examines the dynamics of the Trump administration’s activity aimed to ensure the speediest achievement of target level 2% of GDP in German defense spending. The paper shows that Trump’s desire to commercialize relations within NATO is strongly connected with the partial loss of the spirit of transatlantic solidarity, and reveals that German response to this question is based on the readiness to increase the performance of military power, but on the condition of gradualness. The article emphasizes that the dispute about the Germany’s fulfillment of its military-financial obligations is only a part of a more obvious discussion about the redistribution of influence within NATO in favor of Germany, which is de facto perceived as a challenge by the US administration. The paper demonstrates the gradual advancement of Germany towards gaining the role of a «framework nation» in the process of building up NATO forces in Europe (first of all NATO Response Force). In this regard the paper analyzes the perspective image of the Bundeswehr of 2031, which should be formed on the basis of the recovery growth of all the quantitative parameters of German armed forces and their reorganization in order to more active usage of the Bundeswehr as part of the multinational forces of NATO and the EU. The article emphasizes that thereby Germany strengthens not only its political, but also its military positions within NATO. It is concluded that German growing participation in NATO’s activities is not due to US pressure, but to the general trend of Germany’s course to strengthen its positions within the Euro-Atlantic community and in the world as a whole.

Keywords

Germany, the USA, NATO Response Force, Bundeswehr.

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