Lithuania will reintroduce general military conscription in 2032 amid tensions with Russia

Lithuania intends to reintroduce general military conscription starting in 2032 amid intensifying tensions with Russia. The decision was announced Thursday in Vilnius by President Gitanas Nauseda following a meeting of the National Security Council.

The plan must be approved by parliament before it can take effect. Once general conscription is introduced, the number of young people called up for training each year is expected to rise from more than 5,000 to approximately 7,500. The basic military training period will remain nine months.

Young women will continue to participate in military training only on a voluntary basis, as they do currently. The costs of transitioning to the new system are estimated at 120 million euros.

Lithuania, a member of NATO and the European Union, partially reintroduced military service in 2015 after abolishing it in 2008. The measure was taken in the context of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Authorities in Vilnius consider expanding conscription necessary to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities.