5 years to be ready for war. That is what Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Germany must be ready for war, Defence minister says
German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius speaks during the questioning of the government in the plenary session of the German Bundestag, in Berlin on June 5, 2024.
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Boris Pistorius is convinced that his country will need to fight. This comes after he called for a review of the military late last year.
He also has pointed to the danger of a possible retaliatory Russian attack on a NATO country and said repeatedly that the German military must become “war-capable”.
"We must be ready for war by 2029. We must provide a deterrent to prevent the worst from happening," he said.
"Three issues are central to this. Personnel, material and finances. In an emergency, we need young men and women who can defend this country."
Last year, Pistorius took on the job of overhauling the military, the Bundeswehr.
President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike NATO targets in response to NATO members such as France and Germany allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.
Germany's new defence strategy is a shift from the country’s longstanding post-World War II culture of military caution.