The European Union could face a military threat from Russia before the end of this decade, so the bloc’s member states must prepare their defense industries to be ready, the German government says.

“Threats [lui Vladimir Putin] against the Baltic states, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova must be taken very seriously,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview published Saturday by Welt am Sonntag and quoted by Euractiv.

Pistorius, who took over as Germany’s defense minister earlier this year, warned that Putin’s threats were not just “empty talk” and that “we may face danger before the end of this decade”.

Just a day after the publication of this interview, Vladimir Putin warned that Finland’s accession to NATO this year would create “problems” and announced a troop build-up on the northwestern border.

On the other hand, Boris Pistorius also stated in an interview with the German media that it is time for European countries to adapt to the changing geopolitical landscape, especially because the United States may reduce its presence on the continent.

“It takes time for the defense industry to build up its capabilities. Now we have about 5-8 years to catch up in the armed forces, industry and society,” he urged.

Boris Pistorius warned that there are too few recruits in the German army

His new comments come after Pistorius raised the alarm in early August about the ability of the German armed forces to attract new recruits.

“Everyone is talking about the shortage of personnel in the Bundeswehr (…) This year we have 7% fewer candidates than last year,” he told a press conference at the army’s recruitment center in Stuttgart.

“By 2050, there will be 12% fewer people in the 15-24 age group (…) that we need in the Bundeswehr,” the German minister warned, also highlighting the lack of women in the armed forces, which they represent . only 10% of the workforce other than carers. Another underrepresented category is immigrants naturalized by Germany.

At the time, Pistorius acknowledged that the German military’s goal of increasing its troop strength to 203,000 by 2031 from about 180,000 now may be difficult to achieve.

Last month, he unveiled a new plan for the armed forces and defense industry, in which he set the goal of making the German army “war-ready” and taking on the role of military leader in Europe, since Germany has the largest economy in the EU. , as well as the largest population.

But despite Germany’s large population, Germany’s population is aging, a growing problem for both the armed forces and the economy.

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