A long road remains for any peace deal in
Ukraine, despite weeks of furious (using a lot of
effort or strength強烈的；激烈的)diplomacy and optimistic predictions from President Donald Trump.
But in Germany, political leaders are already debating a crucial detail for any
final agreement—whether the Germany army will send troops to help keep the
peace.
The debate, which has intensified in recent
weeks, will help determine how much of a so-called security guarantee Europe
alone could provide to Ukraine after the war concludes
(to end a speech, meeting, or piece of writing). It is important for
Chancellor Friedrich Merz as he attempts to reestablish German leadership on
the Continent and around the world.
And, in many ways, it is the latest episode
in Germany’s increasingly evolving relationship with national defends and
military service, spurred(to encourage an activity
or development or make it happen faster) on by Russian aggression
and America detachment(a feeling of not being
emotionally involved) from Europe.
After successive governments allowed the
military to atrophy((of a part of the body) to be
reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker)
with the end of the Cold War, Germany’s army is being rebuilt with record
spending.
Polls show a majority of voters approve.
But Germans remain largely reluctant to serve in their armed forces and are not
flocking to their local recruitment offices. The country is so in need of (at a time when someone really needs help) soldiers
that the defense ministry presented a new plan to reinstate(恢復；to give someone back their previous job or position, or to
cause something to exist again) a watered-down(減弱，減輕，簡化；A
watered-down idea or opinion has been made less extreme than it originally was,
usually so that people are more likely to accept it.) version of a military draft(to order
people by law to join the armed forces), which was passed a Cabinet
vote in late August.
Under this proposal, 18-year-old men must
complete a survey assessing their fitness to serve, and the military would try
to persuade those best suited to serve to enlist (to
join the armed forces) before going to a conscription
(the act or process of forcing people by law to join the armed services)
option.
That reticence(an
unwillingness to do something or talk about something, for example because you
are nervous or being careful) around the deployment of and serving
in the military is now being tested by the prospect
(前景，展望，設想the idea of
something that will or might happen in the future)of
sending German troops to patrol (重音在第二音節，巡邏，巡查(especially of soldiers or the police) to go
around an area or a building to see if there is any trouble or danger) what would effectively be a front line facing Russia in Ukraine,
where Nazi soldiers committed atrocities(an
extremely cruel, violent, or shocking act) in World War Ⅱ.
Merz has hinted that he would be open to
including German forces in a European security mission to Ukraine, something
other European leaders seem to welcome. Many Germans –including some in Merz’s
own party—are less enthusiastic.
A German security deployment to Ukraine “would likely overwhelm” the military, which already has troops stationed in Lithuania(立陶宛a country in eastern Europe) to guard against possible Russia aggression, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Germany’s “Table Today” podcast last month. (Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley)
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