Germany will need at least 75,000 more troops to fulfill its commitments to NATO, reports "Reuters". The alliance is adapting its defense plans to face an increasingly hostile Russia, quoted by News.bg.
At their meeting in Vilnius last year, NATO leaders signed the first major defense plans since the end of the Cold War, detailing how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack.
The move signaled a fundamental shift - NATO saw no need to draw up such plans for decades as it fought smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and believed that post-Soviet Russia no longer posed an existential threat.
NATO and national military planners have been busy turning the plans into concrete requirements, highlighting the shortage of troops, weapons and other equipment needed to defend against a Russian attack, which Germany's top military says could happen as early as 2029 Mr.
NATO's new requirements mean the Bundeswehr will need an additional 75,000 troops to fill the additional allied corps, divisions and brigades needed to implement defense plans, Spiegel said, citing confidential documents. .
The Bundeswehr currently has around 180,000 soldiers, falling short of the target of around 200,000 soldiers and 80,000 civilian employees.