Welcome to the world in 10.
In an increasingly uncertain world.
This is the Times daily podcast dedicated to global security.
Today with me, Tom Noonan and Toby Gillis.
This week, Germany changed its constitution.
In a landmark move,
the country's politicians voted to make defence spending and aid to Ukraine exempt from laws that limit the public deficit.
It'll free up hundreds of billions of euros to fight against Vladimir Putin's Russia.
With the chairman of the SPD party declaring it is now our damned duty to defend this free and democratic Europe.
It has potentially very significant implications which we're going to explore with our guest today,
Oliver Moody, our Berlin correspondent who also covers European defence and NATO.
Oliver, why is this such a landmark decision?
It's a huge moment in two senses.
First of all, because it's just huge.
What we're talking about here is about half a trillion euros for infrastructure spending and then probably a similar amount that will be spent on defense,
although some of that infrastructure may be of military use.
For example, the railways in particular are very dilapidated,
but also things like bridges that need to be strengthened or motorways that need to be expanded.
But what they're really doing is lifting all restrictions on defence spending.
So it's theoretically unlimited.