Poland may reinstate mandatory military service amid growing Russian threat
Poland is considering reinstating compulsory military service in response to escalating threats from Russia and Belarus, defense officials told the outlet Polish Radio on March 29.
Situated on NATO's eastern flank, Poland shares borders with Belarus and Russia's heavily militarized Kaliningrad exclave. The country has taken several steps to expand and strengthen its military since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The return of mandatory military service is "inevitable," Major General Maciej Klisz, operational commander of Poland's Armed Forces, told Polish Radio. Klisz cited Finland as a model example, noting the country has nearly one million reservists out of a population of 5.5 million.
To match that ratio, Poland would need to have 7 million reserve soldiers, Klisz said. Currently, the country has just over 300,000 reservists.
Polish General Jaroslaw Kraszewski also spoke in favor of mandatory military service, according to Polish Radio. Kraszewski argued that women should be included in conscription as well as men.
Previously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans on March 7 to implement large-scale military training for all adult men to strengthen the country's reserve forces. The program, set to begin in 2026, does not amount to a reinstatement of mandatory military service.
Instead, participants without prior military experience are expected to undergo multi-day trainings covering the basics of civil defense, first aid, and select military skills.
Tusk also said he hopes to increase the size of Poland's army — currently numbering about 200,000 regular soldiers — to better match the Russian threat.
Poland would likely be among the first targets in a potential NATO-Russia confrontation.
In January, Tusk urged NATO allies to increase defense spending, arguing that if all European members matched Poland's budget, NATO's military expenditures would be 10 times greater than Russia's.
Read also: 'You can't trust Russians' — Europe's Ukraine peacekeeping plans face one obvious hurdle
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