President Donald Trump's criticism of Germany's defense spending has prompted the country to increase funding for its military forces and infrastructure. Germany has reached the NATO goal of spending 2% of its GDP on defense by 2024, the first time since 1991. Trump called for Germany to spend 5% on defense. The frustration with Germany and other European allies has also affected the German parliament's decision to relax restrictions on debt to invest in its military. Germany's armed forces are in a state of disarray, with recruitment remaining a challenge. The likely new German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has pledged to rebuild Germany's military.