Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania. Germany will increase its military to nearly 200,000 troops over the next seven years, the defence ministry said Tuesday, a day after US Vice President Mike Pence urged European allies to boost their defence spending. "The Bundeswehr has rarely been as necessary as it is now," said Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. Over recent years, the army had seen a significant reduction in troop numbers following Germany's reunification and the end of the Cold War. Washington has repeatedly pressed Germany to increase its defence spending to reach the NATO agreed level of two percent of economic output.

Source: The Local February 22, 2017 07:37 UTC