Germany Plans Military Draft Due to Russia Threat

Listen To Story Above

Germany’s military chief is signaling a potential return to mandatory military service, citing growing concerns about Russian aggression. General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s Chief of Defence, has emphasized the urgent need to bolster the country’s armed forces by an additional 100,000 personnel.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Breuer outlined his stance on conscription as the most viable path to achieving necessary troop numbers. The military expansion comes as European nations grapple with increasing regional tensions and security challenges.

“We won’t get this additional 100,000 soldiers without having one or the other, a model of conscription,” Germany’s highest ranking soldier told the programme.

They are preparing the European public for the inevitable—European troops on the ground in Ukraine. Germany has been discussing reintroducing mandatory military service since the war began—a war that was never Germany’s battle. https://t.co/o28oCG9xER pic.twitter.com/0ukCfpeoBy

/div>

— Armstrong Economics (@StrongEconomics) March 27, 2025

When questioned about the necessity of conscription for Germany’s defense capabilities, Breuer’s response was unequivocal: “Absolutely. Absolutely.”

The general expressed explicit concerns about Russian threats to NATO territories, suggesting a potential conflict could emerge within four years. “We are threatened by Russia,” Breuer acknowledged in his comments to Radio 4. “We are threatened by Putin, and we have to do whatever is needed to do to deter, and by building up a strong defence line then you deter best.”

Discussing the timeline for implementing these defensive measures, Breuer emphasized that the urgency depends on potential Russian actions, stating it was “more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared.”

https://twitter.com/Megatron_ron/status/1859689031677903083

“The sooner we are prepared, the better it is.”

The push for military expansion follows earlier proposals from Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who suggested in December that Germany might increase its armed forces to 230,000 personnel, representing a 50,000 troop increase. However, even modest recruitment goals have proven challenging, with the military struggling to meet an initial target of 20,000 new personnel.