PARIS – In an effort to strengthen France’s military capabilities amid escalating tensions with Russia, President Emmanuel Macron is set to introduce a revamped national military service initiative on Thursday. This move comes as a response to the increasing threat posed to European nations beyond the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During his visit to the Varces military base nestled in the French Alps, Macron will highlight the urgency of preparing France for mounting security challenges, according to statements from his office.

Earlier in the year, Macron disclosed plans to offer young French citizens a voluntary military service option, distinct from the compulsory conscription that the country phased out in 1996.

With Russia’s actions in Ukraine casting a shadow over Europe, France is eager to fortify its military readiness. Macron has emphasized the continent’s heightened vulnerability due to these developments.

In an interview with radio RTL on Tuesday, Macron warned, “If we signal weakness to Russia, a nation that has spent the last decade pursuing imperial ambitions by exploiting any perceived weakness, it will undoubtedly continue its aggressive advances.”

Macron has announced 6.5 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in extra military spending in the next two years.

He said France will aim to spend 64 billion euros in annual defense spending in 2027, the last year of his second term. That would be double the 32 billion euros in annual spending when he became president in 2017.

France’s military currently comprises around 200,000 active personnel and over 40,000 reservists, making it the second largest in the European Union, just behind Poland. France wants to increase the number of reservists to 100,000 by 2030.

France’s new army chief of staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, last week sent a warning about the nation’s need to get prepared to “lose its children” in the event of a potential conflict with Russia – words that prompted an outcry across the political spectrum.

Russia annexed 20% of Georgia’s territory in 2008, Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Gen. Mandon said.

“Unfortunately, Russia today, based on the information I have access to, is preparing for a confrontation with our countries by 2030. It is organizing itself for this, it is preparing for this, and it is convinced that its existential enemy is NATO,” he said.

Macron made clear the national military service volunteers would not be sent to the front line.

“We must, in any case, immediately dispel any confusion that we are going to send our young people to Ukraine,” Macron said Tuesday. “That’s not at all what this is about.”

France is not the only European nation bolstering its military capabilities.

Germany is redoubling its efforts to attract more recruits, notably via a new voluntary military service. The plan remains to be approved by parliament.

Belgium’s defense minister sent a letter this month to 17-year-olds to encourage them to sign up for a military service next year, with the aim to select 500 candidates between 18 and 25 to launch the program in September.

Poland has recently started rolling out a new voluntary military training program and aims to train 100,000 volunteers per year from 2027 as it seeks to build an army of reservists with worries about Russia growing. It isn’t considering a return to universal military service, but rather a reserve system.

Ten EU countries have compulsory military service: Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. Norway, which is not a member, has mandatory military service for both men and women. The length of service ranges from as little as two months in Croatia to up to 19 months in Norway.