MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Germany is not boosting its armed forces in an effort to assume the role traditionally played by the United Kingdom in Europe, Rainer Arnold, a German lawmaker from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), told Sputnik on Thursday.
According to Germany's new military roadmap, the so-called White Book, Germany will significantly build up its military personnel. An additional 20,000 troops are set to be enlisted into the German army (Bundeswehr) over the next seven years, according to media reports.
“I support the White Paper. It paves the path for the Bundeswehr to complete the tasks it already faces today. We are not speaking that Germany would take the current role Great Britain in the future,” Arnold said.
On June 23, the United Kingdom held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the European Union. According to the final results, 51.9 percent of voters, or 17.4 million people, decided to support Brexit, while about 16.1 million opposed it.
