Brussels, 5 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, needs up to 60,000 more active soldiers in order to expand its defence capabilities as foreseen within NATO, according to Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels on Thursday, where they are expected to agree on new targets for military capabilities for deterrence and defence.

In order to ensure that the NATO goals are met, member states are to be assigned new national targets for their military capabilities, including weaponry.

Ahead of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that air and missile defence, long-range weapons, logistics and large formations of land forces are among the alliance's top priorities.

Germany has been struggling to expand its military. According to the Defence Ministry, there were around 181,150 soldiers at the end of 2024, falling short of previous recruiting targets.

Photo: EPA