German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday issued a stern warning about the dangers of Russian rearmament, calling the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine a “wake-up call” to the West about the country’s future intentions.
“We are witnessing Russia rapidly increasing its arms production and dramatically expanding its armed forces,” Pistorius said in a speech to the Lithuanian parliament in Vilnius.
“All this leaves no doubt: for Russia, for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s Russia, Ukraine is only the beginning.”
For Putin, the free and democratic way of life is the real enemy, said Pistorius, whose speech was applauded on several points. “Ukraine was a wake-up call, perhaps the last one we will get.”
At the same time, according to the minister, the leadership in Moscow is trying to undermine social cohesion in the EU and NATO member states using hybrid means, such as cyber attacks.
He also assured: “The German Armed Forces are ready to become a central pillar of conventional deterrence and defense in Europe.” In this context, he emphasized the role of the Armed Forces as a hub for quickly moving troops from the Atlantic to NATO’s eastern flank.
Pistorius also said he was working to permanently raise German defense spending above 2 percent of gross domestic product — the NATO target. All partners in the 32-nation alliance should do this, he said.
The German defense chief also spoke about his plans to introduce a new model of military service. Times have changed, he said. “Germany must introduce a new form of military service. This is the only way the armed forces can survive in the event of war.”
In response to the growing threat from Russia, the German government has promised NATO partner Lithuania that it will permanently station a combat-ready and autonomous combat unit there. This brigade is to be operational in 2027.
In Lithuania, German soldiers would soon “stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lithuanian armed forces, ready to defend the country,” Pistorius said.
A permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers is planned, who will be permanently stationed in the small communities of Rūdninkai and Rukla in Lithuania.
The creation of the brigade is a direct response to the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and reflects the changed security situation in Europe.
In mid-September, Putin increased the number of troops in his armed forces for the third time since the start of the war.
According to a presidential decree, the number of military personnel should reach 2.38 million as of December, including 1.5 million soldiers.
Only in December last year did Putin raise the target number of troops for the armed forces to 2.2 million, including 1.33 million soldiers.
At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the number of soldiers in Russia was slightly more than a million.
