Germany is struggling to recruit soldiers and will have to decide by July 2027 at the latest whether to reintroduce compulsory military service, a senior parliamentarian has told AFP. Faced with a growing threat from Russia and an unpredictable United States, Berlin is looking to revamp its army and has committed to increase its troop strength to at least 260,000 soldiers -- up from the current 185,000 -- by 2035. Germany has seen several large demonstrations against compulsory military service in recent months.