After decades of relative quiet, talk of conscription and national service is suddenly making headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. As some prepare for a major conflict in Europe, governments are rethinking their military policies and budgets, which had been steadily shrinking until recently.

Several countries have revived or expanded national service, and many leaders are now boosting defense spending in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“The U.S. and Canada will do anything possible to avoid a draft,” says Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. If war breaks out, a coalition force of North American professional military personnel would likely do the fighting, alongside existing European troops, he says.

As a founding NATO country, Canada must help, but this does not necessarily mean sending huge numbers of people, particularly untrained conscripts, to war. “The overall goal is to maintain consensus, so it would be a case of, ‘Thank you, Canada, for what you can contribute,’” says Williams.

Read more in the National Magazine article, “Conscription in Canada.”