Latvia president supports reinstating military conscription

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Latvia’s president says he supports a plan to reinstate national conscription for men, and for women on a voluntary basis. The draft could be reintroduced next year after a hiatus of over 15 years. President Egils Levits, who is the supreme military commander of Latvia — a NATO member that borders Russia — said in an interview with Latvian broadcaster TV3 that he favors the idea floated by the Baltic country’s defense minister last week to create an 11-month mandatory military service for men aged 18-27 from the beginning of 2023.