German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has indicated that German troops are prepared to lethally respond to a potential Russian attack on a NATO member, emphasizing readiness and resolve.
In an exclusive interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, Pistor, the German Defense Minister, highlighted that German forces, some redeployed recently to Lithuania, will not hesitate to take lethal action if necessary. "If deterrence doesn’t work and Russia attacks, is it going to happen? Yes," Pistorius stated. He also advised reading the reports from Vilnius, where German brigade representatives are stationed, to gain insight into the situation.
Pistorius asserted that any talk about peace and détente could only be possible "on equal terms" and "from a position of strength.""Not to intimidate anyone, but to make it clear that we know what we can do — we want to live in peace with you, but don’t think that we’re weak or that we won’t defend ourselves," he added.
Moscow has repeatedly dismissed speculation that Russia plans to attack NATO as "nonsense," arguing it has no interest in doing so. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also criticized what he described as Western leaders’ attempts at fearmongering, saying: "They have made a monster out of Russia in order to justify the decision to increase NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP."
Peskov also singled out German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as "a fierce apologist for confrontation with Russia," accusing him of "aggressively mobilizing Europe."
German officials have also been debating a potential return to some form of military conscription to reinforce the military in case there are not enough volunteers to fill the ranks.