conscription

The Baltic states are facing a real threat and must be prepared to independently withstand for at least three days in case of a military conflict until NATO allies arrive, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said on Wednesday in Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, when asked by foreign jour...

The Lithuanian government on Wednesday backed a bill drafted by the Ministry of National Defence on the restoration of conscription. It will now go to parliament for further consideration.

The Ministry of National Defence submitted to the Government amendments to the law on the principles of structure of the Armed Forces in 2015. It includes a plan to draft 3,000-3,500 men to compulsory military service.

Lithuania's Parliamentary Speaker Loreta Graužinienė and Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius both say they would not support the idea of making military service mandatory for women as well as men.

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said at the end of his US visit that the United States was aware of Lithuania's security concerns, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating Lithuania's serious stance on collective defence – possibly in the form of reintroducing conscription.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius says he does not support the idea include women into compulsory military draft. However, he says that women are always welcome in the armed service as volunteers.

The restoration of military conscription has been proposed because it is the only quick way to form army units, says Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė. Besides, she adds, conscripts would cost less than training professionals.

The State Defence Council has decided to enhance Lithuania's defensive capabilities and to temporarily reinstate conscript military service. Speaker of the Seimas Loreta Graužinienė says that parliament will soon start work on the issue.

Return of military conscription system in Lithuania may require revising the planned defence acquisitions, says Artūras Paulauskas, chairman of the parliamentary National Security and Defence Committee.

The State Defence Council, comprising of the Lithuanian president, prime minister, parliament speaker, defence minister and army chief, decided on Tuesday to reintroduce military conscription in Lithuania.