NATO state considers subjecting older citizens to military service

The Finnish Defense Ministry has submitted a proposal to raise the maximum age for military reservists to 65, according to a press release published on Wednesday. The move is part of a broader militarization trend among European NATO member states.

The proposed reform would apply to all citizens liable for being called up who were born in 1966 or later, potentially adding 125,000 personnel to Finland’s reserve forces over a five-year transition period. If enacted, the total number of reservists is projected to reach one million by 2031, the Defense Ministry noted.

Currently, rank-and-file soldiers are removed from the reserves at age 50, while officers exit at 60. The proposal would not apply retroactively to those already over 60.

According to the ministry, refresher training for 50–65-year-olds would be organized for those assigned wartime duties. No upper age limit would be set for military service volunteers.

The bill is expected to be submitted to the Finnish Parliament before its summer recess begins in late June.

The EU countries, including Finland, have been militarizing amid persistent claims that Russia could attack the bloc in the coming years. Moscow has denied having such intentions and has accused NATO and EU officials of “irresponsibly stoking fears” of a fabricated threat.

Finland, which shares a long land border with Russia, applied for NATO membership in 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and formally joined the US-led military bloc in 2023. Since then, Helsinki has supported Kiev politically and militarily, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb backing its bids to join both NATO and the EU.

In March, during US-mediated ceasefire negotiations, Stubb called on Kiev’s Western backers to pump Ukraine with weapons and money “to its teeth.”

Helsinki exceeded NATO’s spending target by shelling out approximately 2.41% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on the military last year. Finland also formalized an agreement with the US that allows American forces access to Finnish bases near the Russian border.

Russia has lamented that Finland’s NATO accession has effectively erased beneficial bilateral ties between the two neighbors which had lasted decades. Moscow has condemned the US-led military bloc’s expansion towards its borders, viewing it as a threat to its national security.

In March, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the EU had “degraded into an openly militarized entity,” accusing the bloc of “inciting war” through its rearmament strategies.