1 of 2 | German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gestures during a Family Business Day meeting in Berlin, Germany, 11 June 2026. The Family Business Day is an economic conference and the main political platform of the Family Business Foundation in Berlin. Photo by CLEMENS BILAN / EPA
June 15 (Asia Today) -- Germany and Japan are moving away from military restraints maintained for more than 80 years since their defeat in World War II as doubts about U.S. security commitments and growing threats from Russia and China drive major defense expansions.
The two countries are expected to strengthen military cooperation during the Group of Seven summit being held this week in Évian-les-Bains, France, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Germany and Japan, which were aligned as Axis powers during World War II, relied heavily on the United States for their security after the war.
Germany placed particular emphasis on social spending rather than defense after the Cold War ended. That approach has changed as concern about the reliability of the United States has grown, according to the newspaper.
