Sawt Falasteen - Pragmatism, not patriotism, pushes young Lithuanians to military service

In their final year of high school, all are on the brink of Lithuania's newly-reformed draft policy, expanded to make all 18- to 22-year-old men who pass a health check eligible, as the small neighbour of Russia and Belarus seeks to deter any aggression from Moscow.

While authorities praise young people's patriotism, eligible men say they need more government support as they prepare to serve.

"Those younger people will have to defend our country, and to be able to motivate them is important, so they feel encouraged to join the military," Valentinas, an 18-year-old high school student, told AFP.

This policy, initially implemented in 2014 after the Russian occupation of Crimea, has expanded several times since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

At the start of this year, the draft list grew from 3,500 people to 5,000.

Previous exceptions to the policy, such as those for students in higher education, were removed.

- 'All volunteers' -

Lithuania's defence ministry is confident its young people are eager to defend their country.

"It is our high expectation that maybe this year will be the first year that we will have all volunteers coming into conscription," Vice Minister of Defence Karolis Aleksa told AFP in Vilnius.

But many potential draftees worry the military draft might disrupt their plans in a country formerly occupied by the Soviet Union.

"This year I wouldn't want to go," Dominikas, 18, told AFP. "If I was to get drafted, it would mess up the rhythm of education, and that would be a problem".

Vykintas, 18, a classmate, admitted he volunteered, but not out of overt enthusiasm for service.

"I'm not really excited for the military, but I also volunteered for it because I think it's better to just do it after school and be free with it," he told AFP.

Another young man, Valentinas, volunteered as "I don't know what to do with my future. I don't know where to study, so the military is a great option for me".

"Since 2014... the main goal has been to increase the size of the professional armed forces and, in particular, the number of reservists," Tomas Janeliunas, a professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University, told AFP.

"The number of conscripts has been gradually expanded each year," he added.

"Everybody understands the reality, the security threats," Aleksa said, adding he believes the country is moving "toward universal male conscription".

- 'Ten percent' patriotic -

Such policies are popular with government officials who regularly emphasise the country's defence needs, as well as with the Lithuanian public.

In a 2024 poll, 63 percent of Lithuanians supported universal conscription and the military is the country's most popular institution –- enjoying 80 percent confidence among the public.

"Lithuania maintains that it must not rely solely on NATO allies but also contribute as much as possible to its own defence -- both through budgetary commitments (this year reaching 5.38 percent of GDP) and by increasing the number of personnel," Janeliunas said.

Groups such as the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union (LRU) -- a government-sponsored paramilitary group, have emphasised the importance of teaching young Lithuanians about patriotism.

Young draftees do not always share the same perspective.

"I'd say about ten percent of the volunteers are patriotic, to be honest," Rokas, 18, told AFP.

Since the war in Ukraine began, several organisations, including the LRU, have noted increased interest in joining up, and last year, the Lithuanian armed forces noted volunteers for military service were up by half on two years prior.

- Pay or patriotism? -

Students say this is not necessarily evidence of greater patriotism.

"I don't think people became more patriotic because of the war," Dominikas told AFP.

"It's more because of... the increase in the pay rate," said Tomas, his classmate. "I think that's the reason a lot of people are volunteering".

Conscripts in Lithuania can earn up to 8,835 euros for nine months of service, depending on their evaluations and their volunteer status.

Young Lithuanians who volunteer can choose the time and place of their service, as opposed to draftees.

They also receive cumulative payments up to 30 percent higher than those drafted compulsorily.

Regardless of personal feelings towards service, each of the young men AFP spoke to agreed the draft was necessary for the country's security.

"There wouldn't be enough people if it wasn't mandatory," said Tomas.

X.AbuJaber--SF-PST