Germany ponders mandatory military service for 18-year-olds amid looming Russia nuclear threat

Germany, as per reports, is considering the reintroduction of conscription for all 18-year-olds amidst escalating tensions with Russia.

According to a report by The Sunday Telegraph, this move is driven by concerns over a potential full-scale NATO conflict with Russia.

What's the plan?

The report states that three potential plans are under the final stage of discussion, and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to announce formal plans next month. Two of these plans reportedly include compulsory one year conscription for all men at the age of 18.

One approach would require both men and women, upon turning 18, to serve, expanding the conscription that previously applied only to men.  

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Including women in mandatory conscription would require a constitutional amendment, yet, as per Daily Mail, military insiders suggest that such a change would "most likely to receive societal approval".

Another strategy focusing solely on 18-year-old men will reportedly include a selection process where individuals would complete an online form and could subsequently be chosen for service. 

The third option, as per the report, would forego conscription entirely, instead focusing on "optimising" the existing military framework through intensified, proactive recruitment efforts.

However, during a recent visit to Washington, Pistorius expressed his 'conviction' that Germany "needs a form of military conscription".

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Germany had suspended compulsory military conscription in 2011, a decision which Pistorius has previously described as a "mistake".

Why compulsory military service?

These discussions, as per Daily Mail, are set against a backdrop of heightened global tension following Russian President Vladimir Putin's declaration that his nuclear forces are at full readiness. 

In an unsettling speech, on Thursday (May 9) Putin hailed the valour of Russian troops in Ukraine and accused the "collective West" of "fuelling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centres of global development". He also issued a warning that the Kremlin intends to avoid global conflict, but was ready to face any threat to Russia's security.

(With inputs from agencies)