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“We need to accept losing our children in order to protect who we are,” that was the chilling warning from French army chief of staff about a potential confrontation with Russia by 2030.
All over Europe, conscription is back. Ten EU countries already have compulsory service for men, from Austria to Finland.
Next year, Germany is set to send military questionnaires to 18-year-olds. But there is a catch: the constitution bans drafting women. So while men must answer, for women it remains voluntary.
But war does not ask for someone’s gender, and in the Nordics, military service is everyone’s responsibility. Denmark and Sweden both draft women, and Norway was the first NATO ally to do so.
And in Ukraine? Over 70,000 women serve, with 20,000 in combat roles. That is almost equal to the entire combined armies of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Big armies drain funds from healthcare and innovation. But as Ukraine proves, the price of sovereignty is high.
NATO allies could say that they have the luxury of debating this only because Ukrainians are holding the line. If they had given up, the war would not be on their doorstep – it would be on ours.
Would you be ready to answer the call?
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