Foreign relations
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Germany has a network of 227 diplomatic missions abroad[154] and maintains relations with more than 190 countries.[155] Germany is a member of the Council of Europe, NATO, the OECD, the G7, the G20, the World Bank and the IMF. It has played an influential role in the European Union since its inception and has maintained a strong alliance with France and all neighbouring countries since 1990. Germany promotes the creation of a more unified European political, economic and security apparatus.[156][157][158] The governments of Germany and the United States are close political allies.[159] Cultural ties and economic interests have crafted a bond between the two countries resulting in Atlanticism.[160]
After 1990, Germany and Russia worked together to establish a "strategic partnership" in which energy development became one of the most important factors. As a result of the cooperation, Germany imported most of its natural gas and crude oil from Russia.[161][162]
Germany's development policy functions as a distinct sector within its foreign policy framework. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community.[163] It was the world's second-biggest aid donor in 2019 after the United States.[164]
Military
Germany's military, the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence), is organised into the Heer (Army and special forces KSK), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Cyber- und Informationsraum (Cyber and Information Domain Service) branches.[165] In absolute terms, German military spending in 2023 was the seventh-highest in the world.[166] In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that German military expenditure would be increased past the NATO target of 2%, along with a one-time 2022 infusion of 100 billion euros, representing almost double the 53 billion euro military budget for 2021.[167][168] In 2023, military spending according to NATO criteria amounted to $73.1 billion, or 1.64% of the country's GDP, well below the NATO target of 2%. In 2024, Germany reported $97.7 billion to NATO, exceeding the NATO target of 2% at 2.12% of GDP.[169]
As of May 2024, the Bundeswehr has a strength of 180,215 active soldiers and 80,761 civilians.[170] Reservists are available to the armed forces and participate in defence exercises and deployments abroad.[171] Until 2011, military service was compulsory for men at age 18, but this has been officially suspended and replaced with a voluntary service.[172][173] Since 2001 women may serve in all functions of service without restriction.[174] According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany was the fifth-largest exporter of major arms in the world from 2019 to 2023.[175]
In peacetime, the Bundeswehr is commanded by the Minister of Defence. In a state of defence, the Chancellor would become commander-in-chief of the Bundeswehr.[176] The role of the Bundeswehr is described in the Constitution of Germany as defensive only. But after a ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court in 1994, the term "defence" has been defined not only to include protection of the borders of Germany, but also crisis reaction and conflict prevention, or more broadly as guarding the security of Germany anywhere in the world. As of 2017, the German military has about 3,600 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of international peacekeeping forces, including about 1,200 supporting operations against Daesh, 980 in the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and 800 in Kosovo.[177][178]