German Defense Minister Says Need to Adapt to the Possibility of War
(Baonghean.vn) - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius declared that the possibility of a new war in Europe is no longer unimaginable and German society must adapt to this reality, while calling on the government to increase military spending.
In an interview with ZDF television, Mr. Pistorius stressed that Germans “must once again get used to the idea that the risk of war in Europe could pose a threat.” Discussing Berlin’s defense capabilities, the head of the German Defense Ministry called on people to “adapt to the possibility of war.”
The official cited the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as hostility between Israel and Hamas as evidence that conflict could break out elsewhere. Minister Pistorius rejected criticism that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government had been too slow in building up Germany's armed forces, insisting the government was working as fast as possible to make up for 30 years of neglect and underfunding.
Minister Pistorius affirmed that the German army is one of the strongest forces in NATO and Europe. Commenting on the situation in the Middle East, Mr. Pistorius assessed that the current conflict is about “Israel’s right to self-defense and existence”, something that Germany agrees “unconditionally”.
According to Minister Pistorius, Berlin has an “obligation to stand with Israel” while trying to prevent further escalation.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times over the weekend, Fiona Hill, a Russia expert in the administration of former US President Donald Trump, commented that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza "could be global system-changing wars, like World War I and World War II, thereby reflecting and creating major changes in the international order."
“In a sense, the Hamas attack on Israel is like a Pearl Harbor moment. It opens a second front,” Fiona Hill stressed.
