Displaying items by tag: Conscription

When Putin announced ‘military mobilisation’, thousands of Russians rushed to the border. Hundreds of thousands have left since the invasion began. Many were against the war, so not wanting to be drafted they left. Poor training and insufficient kit for new soldiers prompted more men and their families to flee. Estimates of how many have left vary from hundreds of thousands to up to seven million. Leaving is easy; finding somewhere to stay is hard. Countries have changed their laws to block Russian immigrants. They limit how many days Russian tourists can stay. Unable to return home, Russians must apply for residency to work in the countries they settle in. In 15 months 155,000 Russians received temporary residence permits in the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia. 17,000 applied for political asylum in EU countries, but only 2,000 received it. Russia’s interior ministry says 40% more have applied for foreign passports in 2022 than 2021.

Lithuania has been investing in defence, introducing conscription, and rebuilding a standing army in preparation for the worst.  It may have started well before the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency, but has now become a matter of urgency, with the country preparing to erect a six-foot razor-wired fence between them and Russia.  The country fears Russian aggression, two years after Putin invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea.  With a US president who has sowed doubt in the country's NATO commitments, Lithuanians are concerned that they could see an echoing of the events of January 1991 when, in the course of three days, the Soviet Union tried to take back control of the country just one year after it declared independence.  Meanwhile, across the border, President Putin has reinforced the garrison and sent missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.  In response, Lithuania will build its fence.  In 2002, President George Bush said: "Anyone who would choose Lithuania as an enemy has also made an enemy of the United States of America," but Lithuanians are unsure if that will remain true after Donald Trump.  See also: http://prayercast.com/lithuania.html