France Introduces Voluntary Army Service Amid Russia Concerns
France, where military conscription ended in 2001, has a standing military of about 205,000 servicemen.
Photographer: Andrei Pungovschi/BloombergFrance will introduce a voluntary military service program to boost its defense capabilities, becoming the latest European Union country to unveil new recruitment methods in the face of Russian aggression.
France needs more young citizens joining the military so that it is “ready and respected,” President Emmanuel Macron said at an event on Thursday. The 10-month program will start next summer, with an initial group of 3,000 volunteers. The program is expected to reach 50,000 people by 2035. Volunteers will only serve in France.