Conversion of the armed forces: General: Security “only through credible deterrence”

The Bundeswehr commander, Harald Gante, describes the further structure of the deterrent as essential for security in Europe. At the same time, he said military activities of possible aggressors were observed and analyzed closely.

“Of course, we are very careful what the Russian Federation and Belarus do and what exercises you do, what quality and what level it has,” says the lieutenant general of the German press agency. “This is not a surprise for us. Nevertheless: Be Prepared.”

Gante leads the three divisions of the German army, which will soon be the planned fourth large association the new home protection division for securing infrastructure and a parche ally. In addition, land -based foreign missions are now also led from its surgical center in Schwielowsee near Potsdam – initially in Bosnia, sometimes also in Kosovo.

A core task: In the case of cases, the 10th Panzer Division of the Bundeswehr, which NATO is promised for this year as a war-loving combat division (“Division 2025”), to be able to move to NATO-Land Lithuania. Germany has started to station a whole brigade there.

Gante assures that Germany will comply with NATO’s commitments, also in the 2025 division. “What we promised NATO will stand there. It will work. It will also be really good, but we also know that we will still have gaps. Point,” says Gante.

This includes the air defense – “a top topic”. “The contracts are drawn. One will start to produce. We have to learn the ability again first.

Finally, Selenskyj warned NATO countries of Russia

In the ranks of alliance partners, warnings of the fast upgrade of Russia are increasing with the possible intention to prepare an attack on NATO countries. According to this reading, a ceasefire in Ukraine might only be a break that Russia could use for preparations. The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj recently warned at the Munich Security Conference that a large -scale relocation of Russian troops to allies Belarus will be prepared for this summer – under the pretext of a military exercise.

“You shouldn’t indulge in the wrong illusion. If the Russian Federation has the opportunity and the impression that it can restore its old Soviet empire of spheres of influence, I am convinced that they would try it,” says Gante.

“And there is exactly one way to stop them, and that is credible deterrence. They have to understand that they would not make it and that they harm themselves,” he says. That should not be done with declarations of intent. The message must be: “Watch out, it doesn’t try it at all.”

More accommodations are needed for a new military service

The Bundeswehr is waiting for whether the future federal government will make the decision for a new military service and what prerequisites should be created. This year the army can train 2,500 additional soldiers, again next year. Then – according to the general – the existing infrastructure reaches its limits and the long period of time to new or converted becomes the limiting factor.

“The problem is not the trainers we have today, but the problem is the infrastructure. If I have no barracks, no beds, no companie buildings in which I can accommodate the soldiers, then I don’t have to set them at all,” says Gante.

It will not be enough to rely on voluntariness only during military service. Gante also refers to the reserve, i.e. former soldiers who are now supposed to pursue a civil profession and to come for military training.

“If we create the so -called double voluntariness there as a yardstick – that is, the employer and the person must agree to an exercise – it will not work,” he says. And: “All the additional tasks that we have to cope with today in the area of ​​home protection as well as state and alliance defense will not work without significantly more staff – and you can only do that with conscripts.”