Germany and Japan are rebuilding their militaries. Furthermore, they are actively strengthening their bilateral ties. Therefore, their cooperation will increase during the upcoming G7 summit in Evian, France. In addition, both countries already share key technology such as drones and helicopters. However, they are uniting this time with a strictly defensive posture. For instance, Berlin supports Ukraine against Russia. On the other hand, Tokyo seeks to protect itself from threats posed by China and North Korea.
Political Changes and New Leaders
The volatility of U.S. President Donald Trump accelerated these drastic changes. Consequently, new conservative leaders have pushed for rearmament in both nations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suspended borrowing limits to increase the defense budget. As a result, Germany could soon surpass the combined military spending of France and Great Britain. Similarly, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reversed bans on arms exports. Additionally, Japan has a defense budget of approximately 58 billion dollars this year.
Public Reaction and New Alliances
The German public mostly supports the increase in military spending. However, the armed forces face serious problems recruiting young people. In contrast, tens of thousands of people recently protested in Tokyo. These demonstrators reject the new security policies and the creation of a national intelligence agency. For her part, Takaichi affirms that Japan faces its most severe and complex security environment.
Finally, both countries seek to expand their strategic alliances beyond Washington. For example, Japan sealed a 6.5 billion dollar deal to sell warships to Australia. In parallel, Germany strengthened ties with Ukraine and requested nuclear deterrent support from France. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and the United States applaud this shift toward the self-sufficiency of their allies.
Reference
Tankersley, J., & Hernández, J. C. (2026, junio 14). Germany and Japan are rearming, and history makes the world uneasy. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/world/europe/germany-japan-rearmament-military.html