Exclusive-German defence minister seeks annual budget hike to over 60 billion euros, sources say

FILE PHOTO: Designated German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attends a ceremony where he receives his certificate of appointment from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is seeking a drastic increase in the country's annual defence budget to over 60 billion euros ($68.21 billion) starting in 2025, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

In 2024, the regular defence budget was 52 billion euros. It was supplemented by 20 billion euros from a special 100-billion-euro fund created in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.