Germany Skeptical on Boosting Defense

Germany Skeptical on Boosting Defense

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) -- Germany's foreign minister says he is skeptical that Germany should boost defense spending to meet NATO targets as it would turn Europe's biggest economy into "a military supremacy" --- something that could raise concerns in Europe.

Sigmar Gabriel says "our neighbors wouldn't like to see this," in response to a question about whether Germany should increase its military spending to 2 percent of its gross domestic product as U.S. President Donald Trump has been urging.

Gabriel said Wednesday in the Estonian capital of Tallinn that Germany backed a European Union initiative to create a joint fund for European military procurement.

Estonia is one of a handful NATO members meeting the defense spending target. Gabriel will visit Estonia's Baltic neighbors Latvia and Lithuania over the coming couple of days.

(KA)

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