Since Russia launched its full-blown attack against Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has remained one of the Ukrainian military’s largest arms suppliers — incurring costs in the billions of euros. This spending and the decision-making behind it have thrown into stark relief at least two things: major shifts in German security policy, and the difficult balancing acts facing the country's leaders. In policy terms, the main consequence of the ongoing war in Ukraine is the realization that the collective defense of Europe — as well as each state's own defense — must once again take priority. For Germany, the challenges to achieving this in practice are both economic and political. First, while helping shore up Ukraine's defenses, Berlin must also figure out how to fund its own national defense capabilities and security commitments to allies, which are now getting the short shrift. At the same time, Germany will have to rebalance some of its past political relationships — namely, security reliance on the U.S., combined with growing economic ties to its rival China, and energy dependence on its adversary Russia.
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