UK, German Defense Chiefs Call for Public to Support Rearmament to Deter Russia

‘Strength deters aggression. Weakness invites it,’ the defense chiefs wrote.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks to German soldiers during a visit to the Luftwaffe officer training school in Roth, Germany, on Feb. 3, 2026. Alexandra Beier/Getty Images

Defense chiefs from the UK and Germany are calling for the public to back an increase in military spending to deter a possible war with Russia, saying it is not warmongering to rearm for the purpose of securing peace.

The UK and Germany’s highest-ranking military officials wrote in The Guardian and Die Welt newspapers on Feb. 15 that since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war, Russia’s “military posture has shifted decisively westward,” reorganizing in a way that could now pose a threat to NATO allies in Europe.