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German defense minister says military draft could return if volunteer numbers fall short
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Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU defense ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. - photo by AP Photo/Virginia Mayo
BERLIN (AP) — Germany may reinstate compulsory military service if a revamped volunteer system fails to meet recruitment goals, the defense minister said in comments published Saturday. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Boris Pistorius laid out a timeline for Germany’s new military service model, which aims to bolster the understrength army. The initial program will rely on voluntary enlistment, but Pistorius warned that could change.