Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr, recently got the all-clear for a massive increase in investment after parliament voted to exempt defence spending from strict rules on debt.

The country’s top general has told the BBC the cash boost is urgently needed because he believes Russian aggression won’t stop at Ukraine.

“We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that,” Gen Carsten Breuer says. He warns that Nato should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years.

“It’s not about how much time I need, it’s much more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared,” the defence chief says bluntly. “And the sooner we are prepared the better.”

  • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    I foresee a non-zero chance that this could backfire and their new ever-expanding military budget gets used on smaller weaker nations and then as an excuse to divert funding away from services that people actually rely on.

  • Gammelfisch@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    What choice do we have? I would focus on improving everything for the regulars and copy the Finnish reserve system.

  • TylerBourbon@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I don’t see this as Germany leaving history in the past, but being smart to protect their future so the that the lessons of the past mean something.

  • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    It feels a bit weird being on the German side for once, also their track record of succeeding isn’t that great, but I love our neighbors and I fully support them.

    I’m just, sad the world is falling into another world war while we also just could be more kind and forgiving towards each other. It would save a lot of lives and leads of pain and agony.

    • Gammelfisch@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      We are not the same Germany, with exception to the Prussian military discipline that is buried deep within us. Thanks to morons in DC and Moscow, they are forcing to break the pacifistic dam that we were force to build post WW II.

      • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Not just republicans. Democrats in the US are right wing too. The entire country is fucked up, the reps just speed up the process exponentially. But don’t forget the most immigrants who have been thrown out was during Obama and Biden. Biden supported Israel too, with loads of weapons.

        • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I call them the Republicrats and get attacked as being a centrist. That is the perversion of this situation is that I don’t think either part of our one party system give two shits about me. The only thing about the democrat faction is they are not trying to put people in real cages. Just trap them in wage slavery.

          • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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            1 day ago

            Right… As if incarceration didn’t increase during dems terms. As if there weren’t crimes against humanity in prisons and detention centers thanks to dems.

            • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              Its been increasing no matter who has been in office as long as I have been alive. Its never gone down. So your point to me is meaningless.

              • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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                16 hours ago

                It actually went down during Trumps first term. That fucking idiot even failed in the thing he wanted most.

    • realitista@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      Their success rate would have been a lot higher if they had known when to stop ;-). I think if the stated goal of defending Europe from Russia doesn’t change that they have a very good chance of success given the numbers they are talking about.

      • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        I also wonder how much farther their war efforts would have gone had they not wasted time, men, and resources on ineffective warfare like that massive train driven cannon. Its a lot of effort and resources to set up double track rails just to miss most of your shots.

        • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          Or if they only focused on Brittain and didn’t invade Russia for one, especially with summer gear in winter.

    • LittleBorat3@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      So yes forgiving and all that. Here are the steps: 1 Putin removes his troops from the occupied territories 2 he apologizes 3 maybe someone forgives him.

      • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Well yeah, but what I wished was that he wouldn’t have invaded in the first place, no totalitarian rulers, no people declaring wars as a dick measuring contest. No Putin in the first place. Putin will never give up and apologize, but hopefully he dies and his replacement would retreat, apologize and help Ukraine fix their country. But the chance of that happening is little to none, the next in line is probably just as bad as Putler.

    • njm1314@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I mean the track record is pretty good as long as you don’t just stop at the 20th century.

      • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        There were no world wars pre 20th century. But yeah, Germany, Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation were pretty successful pre 20th century.

    • rippersnapper@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      Yeah I’m a bit tired of bought out politicians dismantling a country from the inside.

      Probably the biggest loophole that HAS to be fixed!

      • madcaesar@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        The biggest problem with democracy is that voting isn’t mandatory, and 25% of any population is dumb as bricks.

  • Naevermix@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    This is not just about security, this is about safeguarding the last bastions of real democracy.

  • PumpkinSkink@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Great powers rearming will not be good for anyone no matter what the context is around it. After Napoleon, European leaders were so afraid of war between great powers that they avoided it for 100 years. The moment they let their guard up we got WW1. The weapons do not make us safer. Don’t think for a moment it can’t happen again.

    • ynthrepic@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Neither does passivism though. If everyone around you is losing your mind, you either give up your freedom and very possibly your life, or you fight.

      The only reason no other great power has needed a fully prepared military is because of US leadership. That can’t be trusted now, so here we are.

  • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I feel like this is a good idea but I also saw what Germany did to Brazil in that World Cup and there needs to be a plan for them going too far and hurting people just for living.

      • ZeroOne@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        How about you fight instead of dragging people to die in wars witbout their consent.

        Oh wait, you rather sacrifice others.

        Oh & there are more desertions in a drafted military

        • Bashnagdul@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          Don’t mistake me for saying drafting and war is good. Just that a drafted army fights better than a non existent one.

        • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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          1 day ago

          I mean I’d be there right with the other reservists fighting. Not that many options for a lot of countries, Russia is so much bigger and stronger than a lot of those bordering Russia that you need pretty much every man to do their part.