Germany proposes new selective military service to boost defence


German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attends a press conference on conscription in Berlin, Germany, June 12, 2024. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's defence minister presented a proposal on Wednesday for a selective military service focused on volunteers to boost its depleted armed forces in the face of tensions with Russia, following widespread opposition to a return to conscription.

The proposal is part of Germany's shift towards a more robust foreign and defence policy, announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a "Zeitenwende" or "turn of era" in the days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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