Sweden said on March 2 that it will reintroduce military conscription, with officials citing Russian aggression as a reason. Here, other nations on Russia’s doorstep where military capabilities are being bolstered:
FINLAND
On Feb. 16, Helsinki announced plans to increase military troop levels by 20%. Russian jets allegedly breached Finnish airspace in 2016, a day before Finland signed a defense pact with the U.S.
POLAND
About 3,500 U.S. troops arrived in Poland on Jan. 12 for a nine-month deployment to forge closer NATO ties. The country will eventually host more than 6,000 foreign troops.
LATVIA
After Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, Latvia agreed to raise military spending by 2018 to meet NATO’s target of 2% of GDP. A NATO battalion led by Canada will be formed there in June.
LITHUANIA
A German-led NATO battalion arrived in Lithuania on Feb. 7. Locals are worried about Russia’s nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad, between Lithuania and Poland.
This appears in the March 20, 2017 issue of TIME.
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