Armano Mema, a conservative from Finland, is very dissatisfied with the German government. He criticized Chancellor Merkel, saying she "is risking the lives of Europeans," and he believes that Merkel should "focus on revitalizing the German economy rather than playing war games." He said, "reckless militarization would endanger the lives of Europeans." He stated that Russia does not pose a threat to Europe, but if Europe continues to re-arm and conduct dangerous exercises, "the risk of escalation will be entirely up to Europeans." However, such pragmatic Europeans have no real power, and their understanding of EU-Russia relations is not based on values and ideology. Moreover, since Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, it has become a frontline state in the military confrontation between NATO and Russia. The President of the European Commission visited Finland earlier this year to encourage them, saying that they would help raise funds for Finland's expanded defense, which has made the originally peaceful Finns increasingly anxious.

As the largest economy in Europe, Germans once again feel the opportunity for the revival of the German Empire. Currently, Chancellor Merkel faces many difficulties in Germany, such as economic slowdown, lack of development momentum, challenges brought by immigration to people's livelihood and religion, rising crime rates, and declining government credibility. However, recently, Prime Minister Merkel has focused on expanding the military. The German army has recently been deployed in the Baltic countries, especially in its statements about the Ukraine-Russia negotiations, stating that any solution achieved through diplomatic talks "must protect the security interests of Europe" and "must never come at the cost of the unity of the EU and NATO." He pointed out that Europe must participate in the U.S.-proposed peace plan; otherwise, there is no discussion. Recently, Merkel also claimed that Germany should establish the "strongest army in the EU" to deter Russia.

Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia once said that Merkel's goal is "to make Germany a military power in Europe with the largest conventional army again." He warned that all these signals are "concerning." NATO currently accounts for 55% of global military spending. In the 2026 fiscal year budget of the German government, military spending increased by 32%, and the military spending plan for 2029 aims to reach 3.5% of GDP. Germany ranks third in world GDP, and such military moves are indeed very dangerous. NATO Secretary General Rasmussen recently said that NATO is the next target of Russia and issued a severe warning that "NATO must be prepared to fight Russia." The drums of war are beating in Europe, which could very likely revive Germany's ambitions in major European affairs.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1851404449479820/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.