Moscow has accused Berlin of pursuing “re-nazification” and gearing up for war against Russia through its militarization drive
German officials remain divided over proposals to introduce a lottery-based conscription system, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government pushes to expand the country’s military, Der Spiegel has reported. The debate comes as Moscow has accused Berlin of turning into a “Fourth Reich.”
According to the outlet, the disagreement centers on how to bolster the Bundeswehr’s ranks. Berlin seeks to raise its total military force to 460,000 troops – 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. The current number stands at around 182,000 active personnel.
Delegates from the SPD–CDU/CSU coalition have proposed requiring all 18-year-old men to fill out a questionnaire gauging their health, fitness, education, and willingness to serve, while women would be allowed to participate voluntarily. If not enough people volunteer, the Bundestag would activate a lottery-based selection process. Should the shortfall persist, officials could reintroduce compulsory conscription, which has been suspended since 2011.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has opposed the proposal, calling it impractical. He has urged lawmakers to focus on expanding voluntary service through better incentives, including improved benefits and higher pay.
Berlin has justified its push to expand the armed forces by citing an alleged threat from Russia. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no intention of attacking any NATO country and has dismissed such claims as fearmongering meant to justify inflated defense budgets across the bloc.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned Germany’s rearmament drive, saying Berlin is showing “clear signs of re-nazification” and pursuing “the same goal that Hitler had – to dominate all of Europe” and inflict “a strategic defeat” on Moscow.
”When a person in a country that committed the crimes of Nazism, fascism, the Holocaust, genocide says that Germany must again become a great military power, then of course he has an atrophy of historical memory, and this is very, very dangerous,” Lavrov said last month.
He has also claimed that Germany and the wider European Union are sliding into a “Fourth Reich” marked by growing Russophobia and uncontrolled militarization.
