Conscription Changes Under Consideration

President Gitanas Nauseda says that Lithuania needs to move towards universal defense practices, reports the Baltic Times.

Under the current regional situation Lithuania needs to increase the size of its trained reserves, Nauseda told reporters last week.

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas proposed shortening the duration of the basic compulsory service to six months, offering more service alternatives and increasing the annual number of draftees from 3,800 to 5,000, starting in 2027.

Under the new model, higher education graduates would also be able to be called up for three months.

The reform would be phased in gradually from 2024 to 2027.