Despite Russia’s major losses in Ukraine, it’s wrong the think Russia has been weakened by this war and that it is incapable of new strategic surprises, said Latvian Minister of Defence Ināra Mūrniece at the Northern Group defence ministers’ meeting on Monday, the 22nd of May.
The Northern Group defence ministers’ meeting took place in Poland, in a place called Legionovo not far from Warsaw.
During the meeting ministers discussed topics related to NATO’s north-eastern flank’s security.
Ministers agreed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has significantly changed the security environment.
Russia’s aggressive position generates direct threats to the entire Euro-Atlantic space, its security, stability and welfare. This is why it is important to continue providing military support to Ukraine in the fight against Russia.
Mūrniece explained that despite conventional threats to the region’s security, countries have to be ready for Russia to continue using its hybrid and nuclear threat arsenal to intimidate and weaken support to Ukraine.
“This is why we need to remain united and consequent in our support for Ukraine. We have to remain the propelling force that consolidates and unites western democracies for all possible support for Ukraine,” stressed the minister.
Mūrniece informed her colleagues that Latvia’s military support has already exceeded 1% of the country’s GDP.
Latvia is currently concentrating forces to train Ukrainian officers and troops.
A week ago a Latvian-Canadian initiative was launched to train Ukrainian officers in Latvia.
During discussions of the Northern Group’s priorities at the NATO summit in Vilnius, ministers expressed confidence that in order to oppose the threats coming from Russia’s existing and future threats, the decisions that will be made in Vilnius will need to reinforce the alliance’s deterrence and defensive capabilities in the region.
“Latvia will continue investing into its defensive capabilities and developing new capabilities while also reinforcing the alliance’s north-eastern flank.
We consequently increase our country’s defence budget – this year it is 2.25% of GDP, in 2025 it will reach 2.5%”,
and a couple of years after that it will be 3%, said Mūrniece.
The Northern Group is an informal cooperation forum that includes twelve countries – Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, three Baltic States, Germany, Poland, Netherlands and Britain.
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