By Sabine Siebold BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Germany needs up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday, as the alliance beefs up its forces to respond to what it sees as an increased threat from Russia.

BERLIN (Reuters) -Some U.S. lawmakers do not understand the scale of Russia's rearmament campaign, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday, a day after he held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House.

Germany’s defense chief said his country will need to boost its armed forces by as many as 60,000 active soldiers as NATO member states commit to ramping up defense spending to deter Russia’s military threat.

Germany will need around 50,000 to 60,000 additional active troops under the new NATO targets, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels. Pistorius added that NATO should make clear in its summit declaration that Russia is its greatest threat.

NATO defense ministers are set to approve plans to buy more weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and North Atlantic.

As Germany’s new chancellor increases military spending, he has presided over the activation of a German tank brigade based in Lithuania and raised alarms about the threat from Russia.

Following the attack, Germany's chief of defence General Carsten Breuer claims NATO is facing 'a very serious threat' from Russia. He said that German analysts believe the Vladimir Putin led country is producing around 1,500 main battle tanks every year, having produced four million rounds of 152mm artillery munition in 2024.

President Donald Trump will welcome German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the White House on Thursday for the first in-person meeting between the leaders.

At their meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, the defence ministers of the 32 NATO member states laid the groundwork for the largest military build-up in the alliance’s history.