Latvia faces no military threats at the moment. However, the situation can always change, said President Edgars Rinkēvičs after meeting with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on Wednesday, the 28th of February.
Retired US Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, who was once the commander of US forces in Europe, has said that in the event of Russia’s attack, Lithuania should be prepared to hold out for at least two weeks.
When asked how accurate such a forecast is for other Baltic States, Rinkēvičs stressed it is a topic on which there is no particular disagreement with military experts – any NATO member must be able to defend itself from the first minute.
He said that Latvia currently hosts a battle group commanded by Canada, Lithuania hosts German forces, and Estonia – British forces.
Latvia has its own defence plans that detail resistance to any attack from the first minute.
The president explained that these plans delegate a certain degree of responsibility to the NATO forces commander in Europe. He mentioned that as the geopolitical situation worsens and the threat level increases, plans and authority are updated accordingly.
“Our way of life is that we like to drive through ditches rather than in the middle of the road. In the discussion that is taking place in Latvia now, we can see two extremes. One of them is that there is no reason to worry – NATO will defend us and we won’t have to do anything. The other is that two weeks [to hold out] and then flee the country immediately. Both of these extremes are wrong, I believe,” said Rinkēvičs.
He stressed there are specific NATO procedures, Latvia has allied forces, training is regularly organised. But there are also many things Latvia needs to do on its own, such as invest in the reinforcement of military infrastructure. The president said this topic is discussed every week with the PM.
“The Ministry of Defence has prepared an offer, and the government has started discussions to find necessary funding. I don’t want to go into detail here because this is a matter of military security. I can say the government is doing serious work there. We regularly touch these topics in the National Security Council. We clearly understand that we will have to do it ourselves, but I will not speculate on time, detailed plans,” said the president.
He invited addressing this issue in the most rational way possible – Latvia has allies that will help, but we have to understand security is a process. In a volatile environment it will be necessary to improve things, we have to be prepared to fight.
“Sending reinforcements requires time. We need to be ready to resist. Many have asked me about the proper course of action in a crisis or a war. I invite everyone interested and prepared to aid state defence to join the National Guard and reservists. Youngsters considering what to do after graduating and those interested should join the National Defence Service,” said Rinkēvičs.
The president says the more we learn, the more we understand what needs to be done in a crisis and the lower the anxiety. The president stressed that residents are worried right now, which is understandable. However, he suggests looking for a middle-ground between calm and absolute panic. People should work to improve the country’s defence and security.
Also read: Security expert: we have to be prepared for bigger hybrid threats from Russia
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