Germany's Defense Minister: We Must Prepare for Possible Military Conflict with Russia

Germany must consider the possibility of a military conflict with Russia and prepare accordingly. This was stated by the country's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during an appearance on ZDF.

He emphasized that this is not about specific preparations for an attack, but one must take such a possibility into account. 'When we consider something, we must accept the dangers that are unknown—whether they will come or not. It is necessary to arm ourselves for that eventuality, and that is what we are currently doing together with NATO allies. And it is necessary,' he said.

To this end, a German brigade must be present in the Baltic countries, which will be 'fully combat-ready' by 2027, the minister added. He also cited assessments from military experts who believe that 'it will take several years for Russia to be able to start military operations.' 'And during that time—the next three to five years—we must actively prepare ourselves for arming,' Pistorius concluded.