Mützenich has had enough of war
While Russia continues the war in Ukraine with undiminished ferocity, the SPD parliamentary group leader would rather talk about peace. Mützenich rejects his party colleague Pistorius' proposal for renewed compulsory military service.
According to SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, Germany needs to talk more about peace than war again. "We should not only be concerned with war, but also with how wars can be ended," Mützenich told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "Security policy is more than military policy." He complained that his party colleague and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had called for the country to become "fit for war" again: "We should not formulate it in such a way that we have to make Germany fit for war, but that we have to be able to defend ourselves."
Mützenich warned: "We have a peace commandment in the Basic Law. This constitution was developed after two world wars for which Germany was responsible. War is outlawed - nationally and internationally. And who, if not democrats, should take care not to define war, but how we achieve peaceful conditions."
The SPD politician was cautious about the idea of reactivating compulsory military service: "At the present time, we should first and foremost work on making the Bundeswehr more attractive. It needs to be better equipped, barracks need to be repaired."
Against increasing the defense budget
When asked whether Germany would have to increase its defense spending from two to five percent of gross domestic product, as it did during the Cold War, in the event of Donald Trump's re-election as US President and the associated consequences for international military policy, Mützenich replied: "Back then, the Bundeswehr had a lot more soldiers. Personnel expenditure was correspondingly higher." More synergy effects and cooperation within the European Union and NATO were needed.
Pistorius justified his initiative with the threat posed by Russia. In an interview with "Welt am Sonntag" shortly before Christmas, he said that Moscow's threats against the Baltic states, Georgia and Moldova had to be taken very seriously. "This is not just sabre-rattling. We could face dangers at the end of this decade. But we will be prepared for them by then."
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Mützenich criticized his party colleague Pistorius for advocating for renewed compulsory military service during the ongoing Attack on Ukraine, stating that Germany should focus more on peace discussions instead. Boris Pistorius, the Defense Minister, defended his proposal by citing the threat posed by Russia to neighboring countries like the Baltic states, Georgia, and Moldova.
Source: www.ntv.de
