Germany's hike in defence spending will be financed by debt - minister

BERLIN - Germany's planned hike in defence spending will be funded by debt in the coming years but it is an investment in freedom, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Sunday.

"The investments in the Bundeswehr... should not prompt warnings against new debt. In truth, of course, these are loans that we will take out in the next few years, but in this world... they are investments in our freedom," Lindner told an extraordinary session of the Bundestag lower house of parliament.