German defence minister says military is unfit for problems Europe faces

Boris Pistorius says Germany must be ready to confront Putin as he considers allowing non-nationals to join armed forces

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

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.