COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Sweden’s left-leaning government introduced a military draft for both men and women Thursday because of what its defense minister called a deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden.
Sweden abolished compulsory military service for men in 2010 because there were enough volunteers to meet its military needs.
The government said the all-volunteer recruitment hasn’t provided the Armed Forces with enough trained personnel.
Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist described the move as sending a signal after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its “increasing pressure” on the neighboring Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
There have also been reports of airspace …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
