NATO has requested that Germany provide as many as 40,000 more troops to strengthen the alliance’s posture against Russia, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, as Berlin faces mounting pressure to step into a larger leadership role in European defense.

The request, part of a broader NATO review of military targets, envisions raising Germany’s troop contribution to roughly 80,000—up from the 40,000 already pledged. The alliance is also considering raising its overall troop structure from 80 brigades to as many as 130 by 2030.

A NATO official confirmed the bloc is “setting ambitious new capability targets” amid growing concern over Russian hostility and uncertainties surrounding U.S. security commitments under President Donald Trump.

Merz Government’s Military Ambitions

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has committed to transforming Germany into Europe’s strongest conventional army. As part of that effort, Germany is permanently deploying a tank brigade of up to 5,000 troops to Lithuania—its first such foreign deployment since World War II.

Berlin has already pledged 10 brigades by 2030 and currently counts nine, including the new Lithuanian unit.

Low enlistment remains a critical challenge. The German government has passed measures to improve military pay and conditions, and introduced a new voluntary service model. However, officials have warned that if enlistment targets continue to fall short, reintroducing compulsory military service—paused since Angela Merkel’s term—may be necessary.