As German leaders realize they cannot automatically rely on America to guard the nation, they are calling for an increase in defense spending and a return to compulsory military service.
The early days of President Donald Trump’s second term have brought to life a theme from his first term: Europe must contribute more to its own defense.
To German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, that means compulsory service to bolster Germany’s defense against the day when Russia inevitably looks to attack, according to The Times.
“Putin despises Western societies and independent minds,” he said, referring to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “He wants to change the international order and considers himself at war with the West.
“Even with a potential peace in Ukraine, this threat will prevail. … Our military experts estimate that within four to seven years Putin will be able to launch an attack on NATO territory,” he said.
Germany’s armed forces have about 179,000 uniformed troops, a number that sags annually, and about 30,000 reservists, well below its goals. That’s also below NATO military plans that assume Germany could contribute 465,000 to defending NATO territory.
In addition to compulsory service, Pistorius said Germany needs to upgrade its defense industrial base and increase its navy, which has fewer than 60 ships.
Compulsory service, which was suspended in 2011, has been a hard sell to reinstate. Last year, German officials refused to dip the country’s toes in the water with a pilot project to sign up about 3,000 18-year-olds.
Pistorius said that without action from Germany and its partners, Europe could face what he called a “severe security gap.”
Should America enact compulsory military service?
Yes: 67% (2 Votes)
No: 33% (1 Votes)
“This necessity has become even more prevalent against the background of the last days. We must be honest about where the money for these investments is coming from. We will have to bite the bullet and raise the debt limit in this crucial phase,” he said.
“We need an honest debate about the fact that we must incur debt now to ensure our security,” he said. “This is an investment in our future and our children’s future, because ultimately security is the foundation for everything else — our prosperity, our society, our European way of life.”
In comments to dpa posted on Yahoo, German Lt. Gen. Harald Gante, said the nation needs more troops and more places to put them.
“All the additional tasks that we have to deal with today in the area of homeland security, and national and alliance defense, will not work without significantly more personnel — and that can only be done with conscripts,” he said.
“There should be no false illusions. If the Russian Federation has the possibility and the impression that it can restore its old Soviet empire with its spheres of influence, I am convinced they would try it,” he said. “And there is exactly one way to stop them, and that is credible deterrence.”
Gante said the military needs an infrastructure overhaul.
“If I have no barracks, no beds, no company buildings in which to house the soldiers, then I cannot recruit them in the first place,” he said.
Money may be coming, according to The New York Times.
Friedrich Merz, who leads the Christian Democrats and is likely to be chancellor, is seeking to make a deal that would increase military spending.
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