german Defense Minister Proposes Return to Universal Muster,Citesโข Deterrence Against Russia
BERLIN โค -โข German Defense Minister โBoris Pistorius announced plans to reinstate a complete national muster for all eligible German citizens by mid-2027,a move he asserts will serve as aโ deterrent to potential adversaries,particularly Russia. The declaration, made in โan interview with “Bild am Sonntag,” signals aโค significant shift in Germany’s national defenseโค strategy.
“We’ll be ready by mid-2027. Then we’ll be able to sample across the board again,” Pistorius emphasized. He added that a return to the muster – a system of assessing young citizens’ fitness for military service – wouldโ beโ noticed by Russian President Vladimir โPutin. “If โwe againโ screenโฃ all men of a year and collectโ the data of all those fit for military service, this will also be noticed in Russia. In other words: that too is a deterrent!”
The proposal comes as debate intensifies over a proposed new militaryโ service law, which includes a lottery systemโฃ to โdraft citizens if volunteer numbers fallโข short. A recent survey by โคInsa found that 60% โฃof Germans oppose the lottery system, with only 21% supporting it. Opposition is also strong within the governing parties,with 59% of CDU/CSU voters โand 64% of SPD voters rejecting theโฃ draft lottery.โ Among 18-29โ year olds, opposition โstandsโ at 50% againstโค and 20% in favor.
pistorius embarkedโ on a five-day trip to Iceland, Canada, and Grate Britain on Sunday to discuss security policy cooperation, armed โขforces collaboration, and armaments cooperation with NATO allies. He also highlighted the growing threat posed by Russia’s remilitarization of the Arctic, warning that Moscow couldโ target European locations โwith nuclear-armed submarines.
“Putin is remilitarizing the Arctic. The Russian Northern Fleet is a potential threat to communication and transportโ routes โbetween the โNATO โคallies,” Pistorius told “Bild am โขsonntag.” โขHe stressed the importance of a strong maritime security partnership, particularly with Canada, involving joint situationโ reports, exercises, and armaments projects.
Continued Western support forโ Ukraine’s defense against russia is โคalso expected to be a key โขtopic during Pistorius’ trip,particularly consideringโ recent reports that US President Donald Trump has paused delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.
