The defence minister of Latvia wants to reintroduce mandatory military service so his country can defend itself in case Russia launches an attack so sudden that NATO can't help prevent it. | BISouthAfrica
In an interview with Insider this week, Pabriks, who is also Latvia's deputy prime minister, said that more citizens need military training because the country is expecting an attack from Russia.
"We have been of course calculating how many forces Russia can gather at our borders within 24 or 48 hours. And knowing that NATO will need a certain time to reflect on that, we must be ready ourselves to defend every inch and every centimeter of our territory." But Pabriks said Latvia — which was occupied by the Soviets before declaring independence in 1990 — needs to considerably boost its own defenses as an Russian attack is so likely.
"We cannot afford to appear weak. We must be strong. We are not scared and we're simply vigilant, ready, because we're not going anymore to live under this foreign rule and this occupation like our ancestors."Introducing mandatory military service still needs approval from the country's parliament and new legislation.
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