Germany's Strack-Zimmermann urges the mobilization of 900,000 reserve soldiers.
Strack-Zimmermann asked for the activation of around 900,000 German reservists. These reservists would need to be registered first. The German military hasn't tracked down soldiers who left active service for years. Having half of them with their skills as reservists would be a big advantage, said Strack-Zimmermann.
Strack-Zimmermann also asked companies to give their reservist employees some time for this task. This seems necessary in the current situation.
The head of the Reservists' Association, Patrick Sensburg, appreciated Strack-Zimmermann's proposal. "The chairwoman of the Defense Committee is endorsing the idea of the Reservists' Association, which is smart because time is running out if we want to prevent war," Sensburg said in an interview with the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post" on Saturday.
"There's a great potential among the existing reservists and reservists," Sensburg continued. "Many have even signed a voluntary declaration." The Reservists' Association is already discussing how they can help the German military with reactivation.
Strack-Zimmermann, taking a look at Russia, said it's only "producing weapons now." Moreover, she mentioned that textbooks in Russia portray Germany as an aggressor, and elementary school kids are taught how to use weapons. That's concerning.
"The Russian attack against us has already started," Strack-Zimmermann told Funke newspapers. She referred to cyber attacks, spying, and intentionally-created refugee movements. "We need to accept that the war in Ukraine directly affects us." If Putin succeeds, he "will continue his attacks," said Strack-Zimmermann, adding that Putin might also raid the Baltic states if he thinks the time is right.
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The FDP, a German political party, has not publicly commented on Strack-Zimmermann's proposal to mobilize reservists. The Funke Media Group, a major German media group, has extensively covered the topic of the German Armed Forces' plan to activate 900,000 reservists. The German business community, including companies like Funke Media Group, might need to adjust their operations due to the potential mobilization of their employees as reservists. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a prominent German politician and the head of the Defense Committee, mentioned Russia's production of weapons and its militaristic education of children as concerns in her speech. The German government has not announced any official plans to respond to these concerns, but the issue is generating significant debate in German politics.
