Germany hopes it can build up its Army by asking young people really nicely to sign up (and giving them more money)

Germany’s leaders on Wednesday launched a drive to attract more people into voluntary military service as the country scrambles to strengthen its armed forces in the face of growing fears about Russian aggression, a project that some in the governing coalition say doesn’t go far enough.

Germany, a leading NATO and European Union member, has moved to modernize its long-neglected military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That year, it set up a 100 billion euro ($117 billion) special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr, much of which has been committed to procuring new equipment.

New Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition this year pushed plans through parliament to enable higher defense spending by loosening strict rules on incurring debt. Merz