Bundeswehr needs to recruit additional 75,000 soldiers due to threat from Russia - Spiegel
File photo: Bundeswehr needs to recruit 75,000 more soldiers (Getty Images)
Germany will need to recruit an additional 75,000 soldiers to fulfill its obligations to NATO. This is happening against the backdrop of threats from Russia, reports Spiegel.
Spiegel notes that calls for increasing the number of troops could become another major headache for the government, which is trying to figure out how to finance the sharp rise in defense spending, and discusses the issue of reintroducing some form of military conscription.
The Bundeswehr will need an additional 75,000 military personnel to augment additional allied corps, divisions, and brigades necessary to implement defense plans. Currently, the Bundeswehr has about 180,000 soldiers and 80,000 civilian employees.
Defense spending has become a sore point for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition during discussions on next year's budget. Scholz supported Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who rejected Defense Minister Boris Pistorius's demands to increase the defense budget by another €6.7 billion in 2025. At the same time, Pistorius also instructed his ministry to explore potential models for reintroducing military conscription.
Germany's preparation for a possible war
Discussions about a possible NATO war with Russia have been ongoing for two years. Previously, Pistorius stated that Germany should be prepared for a war that could occur in 2029.
Yesterday, it became known that the German government has developed a new plan in case of war. It includes possible civilian evacuation and compulsory service for conscripts.
