Defence minister Boris Pistorius admits ‘foreign legion’ style move is being considered

Foreigners could be allowed to join the German army as Boris Pistorius, the country’s defence minister, tries to recruit an extra 20,000 troops in the face of threats from Russia.

“We would not be the first armed forces in Europe to do that,” Mr Pistorius told the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, as he confirmed the idea was being considered by the government in Berlin.

Under German law only citizens can serve in the Bundeswehr in principle, though foreigners can be allowed to join in certain special cases, according to Bild, a German tabloid.