German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius believes that Russia could attack NATO by 2029. That is why he proposes to introduce a 6-month service in the German army, according to zdf.heute.
After a 13-year hiatus from compulsory military service, Pistorius introduced the idea of recruiting soldiers again. He also intends to recruit 200,000 reservists and extend military service to women.
"According to all international military experts, we should assume that Russia will be able to launch a military attack on a NATO state or a neighboring state from 2029," Pistorius says.
In particular, it is planned that 18-year-old boys and girls will receive questionnaires to find out who is ready to serve. They will be distributed to 400,000 people, of whom 40,000 will be selected and called up for military training.
"The selection is based on quality criteria. Pistorius suggests that his concept will mean that the Bundeswehr will be able to recruit 5,000 additional soldiers every year. The goal is to increase this number every year," the agency writes.
Pistorius emphasizes that the Bundeswehr wants to recruit the strongest, the best trained, and the most motivated.
"We don't want boring and meaningless military service," he summarizes.
Russia's possible war against NATO
After the war in Ukraine broke out, Western countries began to worry that Russia might invade NATO territory. Alliance officials have so far rejected this possibility, saying they do not see such a threat shortly.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that the Baltic States, Poland, or the Balkans could be the next targets of Russian aggression.
In addition, NATO has already developed a defense plan in case of a possible Russian attack. At the same time, the military bloc still wants to strengthen its capabilities.