Several European nations have reintroduced or expanded compulsory military service amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“We are coming to the realization that we may have to adjust the way we mobilize for war and adjust the way we produce military equipment and we recruit and train personnel,” said Robert Hamilton, head of Eurasia research at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, who served as a US Army officer for 30 years, CNN reported. 

A number of European countries halted mandatory conscription after the end of the Cold War, but several nations – particularly in Scandinavia and the Baltics – have reintroduced it in recent years, largely because of what they call the “Russian threat”. Failure to enlist can result in fines or even jail time in some countries.