Latvia will reintroduce military service in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The parliament of the Baltic EU and NATO country passed the necessary legislative amendments in Riga on Wednesday. From mid-2023, military service will be gradually reintroduced, first on a voluntary basis and from next year compulsory.
Latvia abolished conscription in 2007 and converted its armed forces into a professional army supported by a volunteer army. The Baltic state borders Russia and its ally Belarus.
“Latvia’s response to the new security situation in our region”
“Since Russia’s brutal large-scale attack on Ukraine, we are living in a new geopolitical reality,” said Defense Minister Inara Murniece. The reintroduction of military service is “Latvia’s response to the new security situation in our region”. “Because we know from Ukraine’s experience that without a morally stable and prepared society, it is not possible to confront an aggressor.”
Women can voluntarily undergo military training
In the future, men between the ages of 18 and 27 must be called up. Women can voluntarily complete the eleven-month military training. Alternatively, Latvians who refuse to perform armed service due to religious or other personal beliefs may perform alternative civilian service in an agency of the Ministry of Defense.
Source: Krone
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