Nausėda says 2032 conscription start will protect training quality

President Gitanas Nausėda says Lithuania chose 2032 for the start of universal conscription to ensure young men receive quality training. He made the comments in an interview with BNS published by LRT.

The State Defence Council decided last week to introduce universal conscription from 2032, while opposition politicians had proposed starting in 2030. “We are focusing on quality. Not doing things slapdash, but on quality,” Nausėda said.

He said preparations depend not only on funding but also on the number of instructors. The army currently does not have enough instructors to train a larger number of conscripts as well as reservists who are regularly called up to refresh their skills.

More than 5,000 young people are currently conscripted each year. Under universal conscription, the number will rise by several thousand. Nausėda said the annual intake would increase by several hundred until 2032, adding that conscripts should be properly trained rather than simply taught theory.