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Topic: Europe Blog Brand: The Buzz Region: Europe Tags: Ammunition, Germany, NATO, Rheinmetall, Russia, Tanks, and Ukraine War Eastern Front, Redux: Germany Signs Massive Arms Deal with Rheinmetall December 18, 2025 By: Brandon J. Weichert
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Berlin is buying more 120mm shells for its Leopard 2 tanks—even though such shells would make little difference in a broader war between Germany and Russia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, dubbed by Foreign Policy recently as the man that “Germany Loves to Hate,” has become the face of German postwar rearmament. According to Merz, “Pax Americana,” that period following the Cold War in which US military, economic, and political power was unparalleled and Washington enjoyed full-spectrum dominance over the world, is officially over.
He’s right about that last part—but it’s funny coming from the leader of a country that has become little more than a client state for Washington, London, and Brussels when it comes to German foreign policy. After all, until just a few years ago, there was a bipartisan consensus in Germany that war with Russia was both unwanted and avoidable. Indeed, Germany’s post-Cold War economic miracle was fueled by cheap Russian energy—and even as Berlin recoiled at Russia’s foreign policy from 2014 onward, it understood that access to Russian gas was an economic necessity.
What’s more, German leaders generally agreed that Ukraine should not become part of the NATO military alliance, reasoning that adding it would be seen as an act of aggression by the Kremlin. Yet the Europeans are giving NATO-like military support and unofficial guarantees to the Ukrainians as they defend themselves against the Russians in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Will Germany Actually Rearm?
Berlin has been among the most vocal of European states demanding continental rearmament. Merz’s government is following through on these calls. For many in America, this is a welcome sight, considering that until very recently Europe was essentially buck-passing their combined defense to distant America.
At the same time, for all the talk about solidarity with NATO and preserving the alliance, it’s important to recall that the real priority of NATO among its founders all those decades ago was to “keep Russia out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”
Today, all three of these objectives seem to have been lost. The Russians are bearing down on Europe. The Germans are massively rearming—although it is still unclear whether it will do Berlin any good, since most Germans polled indicated they would not take up arms to defend Germany even if it were attacked—and the Americans are obviously shifting away from Europe.
In that sense, what’s the point of risking war with Russia over a non-NATO member if NATO itself has been rendered obsolete?
Now, Germany has placed an order with Rheinmetall for massive amounts of their 120mm tank ammunition. The new order is part of a larger framework first signed in July of 2023 and is worth several hundred million euros (although no specific amount of ammunition or the precise value has been publicly disclosed). The 120mm ammunition that has been ordered en masse is used by Germany’s signature main battle tank (MBT), the Leopard 2.
This deal reflects how Germany is living up to its public calls for European-wide rearmament. Berlin is focused on providing enough ammunition for its Leopard 2, indicating its intention to rely heavily on this system should war between Germany and Russia erupt.
Of course, it should be noted that the last time a major ground war involving tanks was fought in Eastern Europe was during World War II, when the Russians decisively defeated the Germans and then spent decades thereafter brutalizing them.
Why Berlin would even countenance invoking that kind of historical ire from Moscow is mind-boggling—especially since there is no real indication from Russia that the Kremlin intends to attack Europe or Germany.
In reality, it is highly unlikely that Germany is a real target of Russian military aggression.
Currently, Rheinmetall provides 120mm ammunition to multiple European countries—including Ukraine—that operate the Leopard-2. Not only is this plan by Merz’s government meant to rearm Germany’s primary tank…but it is meant to somehow keep the Ukrainians in the fight a little longer.
Germany’s Rearmament Doesn’t Serve Its Economic Goals
Ultimately, this entire ordeal is a ridiculous waste of time, money, and precious resources. Germany, despite its post-2022 economic downturn—thanks in large part to the destruction of the Nord Stream II pipeline—remains the beating economic hub of Europe. Rather than waste their diplomatic capital on preparing for another go militarily against Russia, Berlin should instead use this opportunity to ratchet down the tensions between Europe and Russia. It should also seek to restore trade ties with Russia (while diminishing ties with China) and reinvest the money not in expanding the prosperity of Germans by reinvigorating the domestic economy.
Nothing good will come from this rearmament push if the goal is to keep pouring resources into Ukraine and to pick a fight with the raging Russian bear—not when Germany’s economy (and the wider European economy) is such a disaster. Besides, in a full-scale war between Germany and Russia, would the Leopard-2 really make much of a difference?
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. Weichert hosts a companion book talk series on Rumble entitled “National Security Talk.” He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, and the Asia Times. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / M2M_PL.
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Источник: nationalinterest.org