Germany Races to Rearm as Ukraine War Reshapes Security

This past week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy re-asserted he doesn’t want to surrender any territory in exchange for peace with Russia – a declaration that followed earlier warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin that if Europe engaged in a wider war, it would be defeated. Nearly four years in, the conflict continues to send shockwaves through the Western alliance. european nations are beefing up their defenses. Nowhere is the impact more profound than in Germany. Scarred by their country’s Nazi past,Germans embraced pacifism after the Cold War. Defense spending collapsed to the point some soldiers were buying their own gear. But Russia’s full-scale invasion of ukraine – combined with persistent pressure from President Donald Trump for Europe to shoulder more of its own defense – transformed the landscape. Today, Germany is racing to rearm.

This past month,we were invited by the Bundeswehr,the German military,to observe basic training at the Munster Army Base in northwest Germany.A squad of recruits ran punishing drills, honing the skills they would need to defend their position against an enemy assault. The major in charge has been training troops sence 2018. The Bundeswehr won’t reveal his name to shield his identity from hostile actors.

Bill Whitaker: So have you seen a difference in the recruits of today versus years past?

German major: Yes- I think ther’s a huge difference. They know what they’re here for, adn it’s getting more clear to them that everything we are training here for could be one day real. We don’t hope that. But we’re preparing exactly for that.

Bill Whitaker: Because of the war in Ukraine?

German major: Yes,of course,yeah.

The war in Ukraine has shaken Germany’s sense of security but the country is also shaking off the shadows of its brutal military past. This Holocaust memorial in Berlin – a stark reminder of that history – stands close by the Reichstag, where the national parliament is moving to restore germany’s military as Europe’s most powerful force. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has overseen a 23% uptick in enlistments over last year.

Bill Whitaker: How is the war in Ukraine changing Germany’s view of its own security?

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius: I grew up in the Cold War. And since February 2022, we all experience in– in Germany and in Europe that the war is back. We never expected that. And we were so hopeful that it would never happen again. But it d

germany Rebuilds Its Military, Aiming for Independence from the U.S.

“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can realy achieve independence from the USA.”

President Trump in February 2025: You’re gambling with World War III.

After this contentious Oval Office meeting with President Zelenskyy this past February, Friedrich Merz posted “we must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war” and he pushed parliament to exempt defense spending from Germany’s debt brake – the constitutionally mandated spending cap. The money started flowing. The defense budget is projected to rise almost 80% by 2029.

Bill Whitaker: How big should the German military be?

Defense Minister Boris pistorius: Germany is third biggest– economy in the world and the biggest one in Europe, of course. so everybody in Europe expects us to be the strongest ally in NATO in Europe.

With the surge of federal funding, the long-moribund German defense industry is springing back to life.

sven Kruck: The drones are the future of warfare.

We met Sven Kruck in Berlin. He is co-CEO of drone manufacturer Quantum Systems. The company, with factories in Germany and Ukraine, just landed a 25 million euro contract with the Bundeswehr to produce up to 750 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones, ISR for short.

Sven Kruck: We have now more than 1,500 at the battlefront day by day in use.

Bill Whitaker: 1,500 drones–

Sven Kruck: Drones.Drones.

sven Kruck: In use in Ukraine day by day, night by night.

Drones, including Quantum’s, have helped reshape the battlefield. A few months after the 2022 invasion, Russian forces tried to cross the Donets river in eastern Ukraine. Explosions and smoke obscured their movements.

Armin Papperger: The Architect of Rheinmetall’s Expansion

Armin Papperger has been CEO of Rheinmetall since 2013. He’s a pragmatic, forceful, and strategic leader who has transformed Rheinmetall into a key component of NATO’s rearmament efforts.

As Papperger explains, rheinmetall is evolving beyond its origins as an ammunition company. It’s expanding into vehicle platforms, digitization, satellite technology, and naval systems. “rheinmetall was an ammunition company. It’s going from ammunitions to vehicle platforms. But now we go to digitization. We go to satellite business. We go to Naval business,” he states.

The company’s success, notably its support of Ukraine, has regrettably made Papperger a target. He was the subject of a Russian assassination plot, but this hasn’t deterred him or Rheinmetall. The company is actively building and expanding 13 arms factories across Europe.

Papperger acknowledges the historical reliance on the United States for security, stating, “We educated– t– two generations if something happens in the world we call Washington.”

Key takeaways

• Strategic Expansion: Papperger has led Rheinmetall’s diversification from ammunition into broader defense sectors like vehicles, digitization, and naval systems.
• NATO’s Rearmament: Rheinmetall is now a critical player in bolstering NATO’s defense capabilities.
• Resilience in the Face of Threats: Despite facing assassination attempts, Papperger and rheinmetall continue to expand and support Ukraine.
• European Security: Rheinmetall’s expansion signifies a shift towards greater European self-reliance in defense.