Speaking to British business daily the Financial Times (FT), Karis stressed that Europe needs to match US defense spending in order to be ready for potential war, adding that this requires a doubling of current levels.

The president said: "We have to do something. At least have it at 50-50 [between Europe and the US]. It would be better for us."

"It's one way to directly put money into defense, and the public will understand where this money goes," the head of state went on.

Karis cited data that states that US national defense costs make up 68 percent of the corresponding costs of all NATO countries.

While the US spent US$860 billion (€793 billion) on national defense last year, NATO countries in Europe, plus Canada, spent a combined total of US$404 billion (€373 billion).

A special military tax is needed to help meet the desired defense spending rise, the president added.

One country in the region that does have conscription is new NATO member Finland; on this Tobias Ellwood, a British former minister and ex-chair of the House of Commons defense committee recently said: "Visiting Finland recently, it was clear to see they have the most impressive 'total defense' model in NATO."

Ellwood pointed to Finland's geopolitical location during the Cold War as the rationale for this model, a rationale which remained with the recent re-election of Vladimir Putin to another six years in office.

The Russian leader is "seeking to emulate Stalin," Ellwood added. The UK should thus "be reviewing our total defense model too," he went on.

In a separate interview, the FT also spoke to Alar Karis' Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkēvičs, who concurred both that now is the time for NATO members to speed up their defense spending and to put in place mandatory conscription in all NATO countries

"There is a need for serious discussion about conscription," he said.

"Nobody wants to fight. But the problem is nobody wants to be invaded as well. And nobody wants to see Ukraine happening here," President Rinkēvičs went on.

Latvia reintroduced mandatory conscription last year. Estonia already has conscription, to eight- or 11-month terms, depending on specialization.

The Latvian Foreign Minister and former prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, a Latvian-American, spoke to the British daily The Telegraph last week, also on the topic of a "total defense" model for all NATO members, through which a large amount of a "citizen army" can be called up a short notice.

The UK for instance will "inevitably" have no choice but to increase the defense spending to 3 percent of its GDP, Kariņš added.

Latvia now calls up eligible men aged between 18 to 27 years old who must complete military basic training and have to serve for 11 months. The Finnish example "could be a very good model for many of us" here too, Karins said.

While Finland's army is small, it has a force of "very large, very well-trained" reservists, Karins added, putting the figure at around a quarter of a million personnel.

The UK last practiced conscription during the period of National Service which followed World War Two and lasted into the early 1960s.

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