Western leaders are warning that Russia's war in Ukraine could escalate into a global conflict that would put renewed pressure on Nato forces.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has suggested Europe is in a "pre-war era", and Joe Biden alluded to the "price of unchecked tyranny" as he backed US support for Ukraine. But Nato nations, including those that share a border with Ukraine, are struggling to recruit and retain armies.
What did the commentators say?
"Checking tyranny comes at a price and, alas, the West's young seemingly aren't prepared to pay," said Jamie Dettmer on Politico. A variety of recruitment strategies – from talk of reinstating conscription in Romania to a military-themed TV show that will air in Hungary by the end of the year – have been employed across the region.
But even the most successful recruitment campaigns will struggle to target another of Europe's military roadblocks: "It's no longer so much about recruiting new soldiers as it is about persuading existing troops not to quit."
Most of the "headline numbers" marking the fall in military numbers don't even include "critical 'pinch point' skilled roles" in the fields of medicine, communications, engineering and cybersecurity, which are "particularly vulnerable to losses", said the Financial Times. "It is these roles European militaries most urgently need to staff."
Many people simply "do not yet feel an imminent threat", said The Economist, and that's a problem for militaries looking to recruit urgently and retain troops.
What next?
More experimentation with recruitment that appeals to changing demographics is necessary, "for instance with one-year trials of service that can be combined with university studies or other training", said The Economist. "And despite much discussion, few armies have done enough to recruit women and combat sexual harassment."
If European armies are to ready themselves for a potential war with Russia, they'll first "have to get the basics right", said the FT. Often, amenities as fundamental as troop accommodation fall into disrepair while high-tech weapons are replaced and upgraded.
Countries such as Norway and Sweden have found success with hybrid, selective conscription approaches, known as the "Scandinavian model". But "a broader view of how to make a military career more appealing" is needed to prepare for the worst possible outcome. | 
