Germany is committed to fortifying its military to serve as the cornerstone of deterrence and collective defense in Europe, declared its defense minister on Thursday.

This comes as Berlin unveils new defense policy guidelines for the first time in over a decade, outlining the implications of the “Zeitenwende” – a significant policy shift announced by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The 19-page document elaborates on how this shift will impact the operations of the Bundeswehr, Reuters reported.

As an initial step to revitalize the military after decades of attrition following the Cold War, Germany established a 100 billion-euro special fund last year to acquire modern weaponry.

Furthermore, the country committed to meeting NATO’s target of allocating at least 2% of its national GDP to defense spending by 2024.

“With the Zeitenwende, Germany becomes a grown-up country in terms of security policy,” stated Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during the presentation of the guidelines, marking the first update since 2011 when Berlin suspended conscription.

Written by B.C. Begley