The Military Requirements of European Security: Burden-Sharing in Principle and Practice
with Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling,
Deputy Chairman, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Military Committee
moderated by General a.D. Egon Ramms,
Spokesman Forum Bonn, German Atlantic Association
Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 07:00 p.m.
Wissenschaftszentrum Bonn | Ahrstraße 45 | 53175 Bonn
In the late 1980s, Germany's defense spending amounted to around 3% of GDP, but after the Cold War, it steadily declined, hitting a low of 1.14% in 2015 and severely weakening its military. The Bundeswehr once had 4,800 battle tanks in 1989 – today, that number has dropped to just 300. As a key NATO hub, Germany has struggled to meet its alliance commitments, prompting repeated U.S. demands for higher defense spending. While NATO set a 2% GDP target in 2014, Germany only took decisive action after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the Chancellor’s "Zeitenwende" speech marking a turning point. The new U.S. administration under President Donald Trump is pushing for increased defense spending even more forcefully than its predecessors. We will discuss what is necessary for European security and how burden-sharing works in practice together with:
Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling assumed the duties of the Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee in February 2024. He was previously Deputy Commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and Commander of Southern European Task Force-Africa from 2022 to 2024.
Please register at info@amerikahaus-nrw.de until February 28. Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. We kindly ask you to only reserve the number of tickets that you will definitely use.
We cordially thank our partner Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft e.V. for their cooperation.
