Latvia moved closer to reintroducing military conscription after scrapping it 15 years ago, as it seeks to bolster its defenses to deter Russian aggression.
(Bloomberg) — Latvia moved closer to reintroducing military conscription after scrapping it 15 years ago, as it seeks to bolster its defenses to deter Russian aggression.
The government gave preliminary approval for the measure on Tuesday. Once approved by parliament, conscription would be back in place from next year and apply to men aged 18-27.
The Baltic country, a member of the European Union and NATO, is among the bloc’s fiercest critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has bolstered defense spending, cut energy links with Russia and pushed for restricting some Russian citizens from entering the bloc.
The goal of conscription is to “increase the number of people trained militarily so that Latvia never has to experience the horrors of war that the Ukrainian people are experiencing now,” Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said in a statement.
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