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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kate Connolly in Berlin

German defence minister says military is unfit for problems Europe faces

Boris Pistorius wearing a suit in a parliamentary meeting.
Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, has been voted Germany’s most popular politician. Photograph: Future Image/B Elmenthaler/REX/Shutterstock

Germany’s defence minister has called for a “serious national debate” about the future of the country’s military, arguing that in its current state it is not fit to tackle the array of security policy challenges facing Europe.

Boris Pistorius, who has frequently called for Germany to become “war ready” since becoming defence minister a year ago and has warned that Vladimir Putin could attack within eight years, said the country needed to be ready to confront the Russian president.

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