President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauceda said that in the future, the country should introduce a universal military draft, but at the current stage it should concern only a young man, reports Lithuanian national radio and television LRT.
“So far, we should talk about the universal call of young men,” the head of state emphasized, adding that at the moment Lithuania does not have the necessary resources for the full launch of such a system.
Despite this, according to Nauceda, the universal appeal remains on the agenda, since it corresponds to the long -term goal of the country – the formation of the national division.
“This can be put on our plans in stages. We set ourselves serious tasks to create a national division. And, of course, the number of personnel here plays a key role, especially taking into account demographic trends that do not favors us,” the president said.
He emphasized that the demographic situation will most likely remain unfavorable and in the coming decades, so every soldier, volunteer and contractor is an important resource for the defense system.
The President also confirmed that plans to increase the military budget to 5-6% of GDP since 2026 have been associated with the specific needs of the defense sector.
“All these figures are based on real calculations – from the modernization of weapons to the creation of infrastructure and reserves,” he added.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintoutas Palutskas, in turn, said that he did not see the opportunity to implement the universal call in the near future.
According to him, the state should focus on ensuring the placement of the German brigade in Lithuania and the creation of the national division, and there are not enough resources for a full -fledged call.
In May 2023, the State Defense Council approved the initiative of the Ministry of Defense on the formation of a full -fledged division in Lithuania.
It will be based on the existing teams “Iron Wolf”, “Zemaytia” and “Auksteutia”. It is planned that the structure will be formed by 2030.
According to the decision of the Council, in the period from 2026 to 2030, 5-6% of the gross domestic product will be allocated annually for the needs of defense.