(GoRealNewsNow.com) – The threat of Russian aggression is prompting many European Union nations to rethink their military strategies, with some considering reinstating conscription.
While America’s potential security disengagement under a second Trump term has European leaders scrambling for solutions, they have finally awakened to what conservatives have warned about for years: relying on others for defense leads to vulnerability.
European countries are desperately debating the reintroduction of conscription after decades of military neglect.
Military experts estimate that Europe needs approximately 300,000 additional troops to counter the growing Russian threat that has been evident since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The post-Cold War peace dividend that saw most European nations abandoning mandatory military service has proven shortsighted.
Only a handful of European countries maintained conscription after the collapse of the Soviet Union. With Russia flexing its military muscle, Lithuania, Sweden, and Latvia have already been forced to reinstate mandatory service in recent years.
Public opinion on mandatory service varies widely across Europe. While significant support exists in France and Germany for some form of compulsory service, Spain strongly opposes the measure.
These nations have grown soft after decades of American protection through NATO, with their military forces withering while their social welfare programs expanded.
Major European NATO members remain reluctant to fully embrace mandatory military service, instead exploring voluntary training programs and incentives that fail to address the severity of the threat.
Poland plans to offer voluntary military training to civilians starting in 2027, and Germany’s potential future chancellor supports a compulsory year of military or community service.
Moreover, the UK government refuses to consider conscription despite growing threats.
“We’re not considering conscription, but, of course, we’ve announced a major increase in defence expenditure,” Minister for Intergovernmental Relations of the United Kingdom Pat McFadden stated.
Military experts point to a troubling east-west divide in willingness to fight.
Eastern European nations, having experienced Soviet occupation, understand what is at stake, while Western Europeans have been lulled into complacency by decades of peace guaranteed by American military power.
The harsh reality is that European nations now face the consequences of decades of military neglect and over-reliance on American protection.
While they debate conscription, the Russian threat grows. This wake-up call will finally force European countries to take responsibility for their own defense instead of expecting American taxpayers and soldiers to bear the burden.
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