BERLIN, Germany
Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, on Wednesday said Germany needs to strengthen its armed forces, the Bundeswehr, to operational readiness before the end of the decade.
Pistorius also repeated his
belief that some form of military service would be necessary after Russia's
full-scale invasion of Ukraine raised concerns
about the future security of Europe.
"We must be ready for war
by 2029," the defense minister said during a questioning session in
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag.
"We must provide
deterrence to prevent it from coming to the worst," he said, adding that
finances, materials, and personnel were central to that aim.
"In an emergency, we need
strong young women and men who can defend this country."
Pistorius also said that, for
that reason, he believed a "new form of military service" was
necessary, that "cannot be completely free of obligations."
Pistorius, a member of
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democrats, has charged his ministry
with exploring potential models for military conscription.
Germany suspended compulsory
military service in 2011. About half of German citizens
favor reintroducing it, according to a survey by research institute Forsa
in March.
Pistorius' comments came as
the German Cabinet approved a new concept document for Germany's military and
civil defense, setting out the responsibilities of the Bundeswehr, aid
organizations, and civil defense authorities in the event of disasters and wars.
The new guidelines replace a
predecessor paper from 1989 and now address cyber threats and hybrid
warfare.
Also speaking on Wednesday,
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised his government would support
the defense industry and urged closer cooperation between producers in
Europe.
"Today, we see more
clearly than ever how important it is to have a European and German defense
industry that can continuously produce all major types of weapons and the
necessary ammunition," he told delegates at the opening of the International
Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin.
The chancellor said Germany
had "given the industry too much of a wide berth in the past,"
but this was now over.
"Russia's attack on
Ukraine in violation of international law has presented the whole of Germany
with a new security policy reality."
At the event, Scholz announced
that Germany would buy another 20 Eurofighter jets from Airbus to help bulk up
its defenses.
Earlier in the week, the
German Defense Ministry announced it would buy two additional frigates on
top of four already ordered as a core part of Berlin's "Zeitenwende"
(sea change) in defense policy.
As part of its response to
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany is already stationing troops in
Lithuania on NATO's eastern flank until
a permanent brigade is set up there in 2027.
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