00:01The German government has announced that it intends to acquire 40 percent of the defense
00:06contractor KNDS, a move designed to bolster European arms production in partnership with
00:12its NATO and EU ally France. The decision deepened state involvement in a company whose hardware has
00:18become central to Europe's rearmament efforts. In a joint statement, Germany and France said
00:25they had agreed on the future strategy and governance of KNDS, which they intend to
00:29co-own through arrangements aimed at giving both countries equal shareholdings.
00:34Berlin framed the investment in explicitly strategic terms, saying it would secure lasting
00:40influence over a business it considers vital to European security and defense.
00:45The timing reflects a broader scramble across Europe to expand military spending and manufacturing
00:51capacity, as governments weigh the continued threat from Russia's war in Ukraine against growing
00:56doubts about the reliability of the US as a security guarantor.
