Russia likes to intimidate countries in the region, but Latvia is backed by the NATO Alliance, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said during a press briefing at the NATO Summit in Ankara.
According to the president, although Latvia continues to face constant Russian hybrid threats, he does not believe a conventional military invasion is imminent.
“We must be prepared for hybrid warfare. But I have observed that Russia likes it when we are afraid. That is why, when we talk about threats to NATO’s eastern flank, it is important to make it clear that the Alliance stands behind us. If Latvia is attacked, Latvia will fight, and so will the whole of NATO,” Rinkēvičs said.
The president highlighted two key achievements of the NATO summit: the agreement to continue supporting Ukraine in defending itself against Russia’s aggression, and the commitment by Allies to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Rinkēvičs noted that Latvia is already spending 5% of its GDP on defence and urged other NATO members to follow suit.
Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that the United States should take control of Greenland, Rinkēvičs stressed that Latvia’s position is unequivocal: Greenland is an integral part of Denmark. At the same time, he said the security of the Arctic region must be taken seriously.
Commenting on Europe’s relationship with Trump, Rinkēvičs said the United States remains an indispensable ally.
“Europe and NATO need the United States, but the United States also needs Europe,” the president said.
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