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Germany will change its constitution to allow for a $ 110 billion defense fund

Leopard tank and Puma tank seen at Münster military base, Münster, Germany, February 7, 2022. REUTERS / Fabian Bimmer / File Photo

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BERLIN, May 29 (Reuters) – Germany has agreed to change its constitution to allow the creation of a $ 100 billion ($ 107.35 billion) special defense credit fund proposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the German Finance Ministry said. on Sunday. Read more

The center-right opposition and ruling coalition in Germany with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) said they had reached the required two-thirds majority to free the defense fund from constitutional debt.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the talks were led by FDP leader Christian Lindner, PSD Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, Greens leader Analena Burbock and opposition deputy Matthias Middelberg.

The money will be used for several years to increase Germany’s regular defense budget by about 50 billion euros and allow the country to meet NATO’s goal of spending 2% of its economic output on defense each year.

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Report by Zuzana Szymanska and Holger Hansen; Edited by Daniel Wallis

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