The Bavarian minister-president and CSU party leader has argued for Ukraine to shoulder more of the burden of defending itself. Markus Söder has rejected the idea of deploying German soldiers to Ukraine. Instead, he is once again calling for the fit Ukrainian men currently living in Germany to be sent back to their home country to serve in the military.
In an interview with the Rheinische Post, Söder said:
It is reasonable to consider returning Ukrainians who are fit for work to their home country so they can help ensure its security.
He justified his position by pointing to the ongoing war with no end in sight. Germany, he noted, is providing billions in aid and military support, but Ukraine must bear the brunt of the conflict.
Söder also emphasized that government support in Germany is keeping many Ukrainians out of the labor market. “Compared to other European countries, the employment rate of Ukrainians is significantly lower here,” he said. In addition, Söder expressed support for the reintroduction of compulsory military service in Germany, stating that “ultimately, there is no way around it.”
Back in August, the German cabinet agreed on a new model for military service. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius proposed a system based on voluntary participation, modeled after the Swedish approach, which is expected to go to a Bundestag vote soon.
The CDU/CSU and SPD had already agreed to reintroduce military service in their coalition agreement. The goal of the voluntary model is to make service in the Bundeswehr more attractive and to strengthen its personnel base. According to earlier announcements, the number of active armed forces personnel is to rise from the current 183,000 to 203,000 by 2031.
