Germany's military gaps cannot be fully bridged by 2030, defence minister

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attend the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's military cannot completely fill its existing gaps by 2030, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was quoted as saying, as Berlin seeks to revamp its armed forces after Russia's invasion of Ukraine following decades of neglect.

"We all know that the existing gaps cannot be completely closed by 2030... It will take years. Everyone is aware of that," Pistorius said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag newspaper published on Saturday.