The aggressive Russian stances towards the Baltic States — former Soviet properties that are now members of both NATO and the European Union — and the military activity within the bordering Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, has recently prompted the Lithuanian army to resume military conscription. The ultimate goal is building an operational self-defence force if a Russian aggression becomes reality. Lithuania will recruit and train military personnel for the next five years starting in September 2015, enlisting 3,000 people, aged 19 to 27. The great majority of them -about 2,600 recruits- have joined voluntarily.
