German foreign minister rejects return to compulsory military service

Despite the worst conflict in Europe for over 70 years about to enter its sixth month, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rejected the possibility of a return to compulsory military service during a public Q&A session in Munich on Friday.

Baerbock argued that conscription made no sense in security terms, "especially not when we are in a situation where an crazy number of people - younger, but also older - say: we want to sign up."

She noted that as things stood, there were currently insufficient training programmes and funds to enable all those who wanted to serve in the German armed forces a chance to do so.

Baerbock's comments in Munich on Friday came at the end of a "listening tour" of Germany the foreign minister undertook, with the objective of hearing the German public's security concerns.

The tour coincides with the preparation by the foreign ministry of the first comprehensive national security strategy for the German government.