German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the country must prepare for war by 2029 amid "increasing Russian threats."
"Germany has always had big problems after the World War II in terms of deficit of sovereignty and independence. And within the framework of this deficit, of course, the German authorities are racing against the clock — they have to please Brussels, the Washington Party Committee, and [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg in NATO," Peskov told Russia media.
That is why their position is so complicated, Peskov said.
"Can you imagine them tearing up [between Brussels, NATO and Washington]?" he added.
Meanwhile, Bundeswehr Deputy Inspector General Andreas Hoppe said Sunday that the German armed forces were planning to significantly increase the number of reservists in connection with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"It is impossible without reserves. We see this in Ukraine ... We must adapt the reserve to the current challenges of security policy so that it can adequately support the Bundeswehr in carrying out tasks for the defense of the country and the alliance," Hoppe told the DPA news agency.
The goal is to build up the reserve to 60,000 people for basic purposes, who will be trained for clear tasks and included in the planning of future operations, the official said.
In addition, the Bundeswehr is currently considering how many people could potentially be drafted into the army "in case of defense," he said.
"We proceed from the fact that about 800,000 people can be drafted according to the laws of wartime. Basically, this is everyone who has ever served in the Bundeswehr, retired and is suitable for age," Hoppe said.
Western countries have been providing massive military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it will lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Kremlin on Putin's Meeting With Foreign Journalists: Russia Needs to Explain Its Position
Western authorities are imposing censorship on their media while preparing for war and this can be seen "with the naked eye," but Russia has to continue to explain its position, Dmitry Peskov also said on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with representatives of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
"I am convinced that their editorial policy is not free in the full sense of the word. All the more so in the West, when they are in a state of preparation for war, for war with us, which they are talking about directly, they, entering into such, you know, pre-war ecstasy, begin to violate the interests of the media in a corresponding way, to put the media in a state of sub-censorship. And this is what is happening, this is what we see with the naked eye," Peskov told Russian media.
Even the most respected publications in the United States and the United Kingdom publish their materials "exactly as told," Peskov added.
"We have to try to explain our position. It's like riding a bike. You can't stop, you have to do it all the time. You have to pedal all the time," Peskov said when asked if there was any point in talking to Western media at this point.
All media representatives at the meeting agreed to meet with Putin once again, he said.
"They [media] are interested in this. A meeting with Putin these days is a big chance for any serious media outlet to get a first-hand assessment of what is going on," Peskov added.