“Germany is becoming dangerous again,” Peskov warned, echoing deep historical tensions between the two nations.
German Minister Sparks Outrage with NATO War Talk
In an interview with the Financial Times, Pistorius declared that peace and détente can only be achieved from a position of strength. He asserted that if deterrence fails and Russia attacks, German troops are “prepared to kill Russian soldiers.”
The minister also emphasized the strategic importance of NATO’s eastern flank in the Baltics and Poland, praising the readiness of German troops stationed in Vilnius, Lithuania. “They know exactly what they’re doing,” he said.
Germany’s Expanding Military Ambitions
Pistorius’s remarks follow a series of moves indicating Berlin’s intent to bolster its military posture. In late 2023, while speaking in the Lithuanian parliament, he pledged that Germany would become the backbone of NATO’s deterrence efforts in Europe. He stressed Germany’s role as a central logistical hub for the rapid deployment of allied forces from the Atlantic to the eastern front, should a crisis erupt.
Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently called for the reinstatement of military conscription, citing the collapse of Europe’s security architecture. Chancellor Friedrich Merz went further, vowing to make Germany’s armed forces the strongest in Europe.
“Our friends and partners not only expect this of us — they practically demand it,” Merz said in May 2025, promising new voluntary service schemes to boost recruitment.
The escalating rhetoric and defense posturing from Berlin come amid rising tensions between NATO and Moscow over Ukraine and broader European security. The Kremlin, viewing these developments with alarm, has reiterated that such statements only deepen confrontation and recall “dangerous historical parallels.”
