Baltic leaders call on NATO members to reintroduce conscription - FT
Kyiv • UNN
Baltic leaders call on NATO members to reintroduce conscription and significantly increase military spending to Cold War levels to deter potential Russian aggression.
The two Baltic presidents called on other European countries to do more to prepare for a possible armed clash with Russia, considering everything from conscription and a special defense tax to a significant increase in military spending.
UNN reports with reference to the Financial Times.
Details
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs tells the Financial Times that European countries need to return to the level of "Cold War spending" and discuss the return of compulsory military service to increase the size of the defense forces.
We need a serious discussion about conscription
It is noted that in recent months, Western officials have repeatedly warned that Russia could challenge NATO's collective defense posture with hybrid or military attacks on Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania - the three Baltic states on NATO's eastern flank - in the coming years, after Russia's full-scale actions in 2022.
Rinkiewicz acknowledged that military leaders prefer a fully professional force and that compulsory service could prove unpopular. But, he noted that armed forces across Europe have faced recruitment difficulties and conscription would help create a more capable reserve force to deter Russia.
No one wants to fight. But the problem is that no one wants to be invaded either. And no one wants to be like Ukraine
Estonian President Alar Karis said in an interview that a special tax should be considered to finance military purchases, and Europe should strive to equal the minimum US defense spending - that is, more than double current levels.
We have to do something. At least 50-50 (between Europe and the US). It would be better for us
The three Baltic states have rapidly increased their defense spending in recent years, after repeatedly warning the rest of the West about Russian aggression over the past two decades. All three countries spend more on defense than NATO's target of 2% of gross domestic product, and are aiming to reach 3%.
Here, in this part of Europe and the world, we realize that we need to reach 3%. . . For most NATO allies, we have to be honest: we have to get back to Cold War spending. And that was for many more than 2%
The Estonian government has put forward the idea of a hypothetical "defense tax" to finance an increase in military spending to 3% of GDP, although it is unlikely to come into effect before 2026.
This is one of the ways to directly direct money for defense, and people understand where this money goes
It is also reported that military service is returning in Europe: Latvia reintroduced it last year, followed by Lithuania and Sweden recently. Estonia, Finland, and Norway have not stopped introducing compulsory military service since the Cold War, while Denmark last month proposed extending it to women along with men.
Recall
Zelenskyy believes that Putin may try to conduct a ground operation in the Baltic States or Moldova
