The issue of European Union (EU) sanctions should have been handled in a way that ensured Latvia was not left standing alone, and the Baltic states should have had a common position, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (United List) said on TV3’s 900 Seconds programme.
The politician said the issue should have been handled in such a way that “Latvia was not left as the last country in Europe standing alone”. He explained that all other member states had already reached an agreement, while Latvia was the only country still opposing the lifting of sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
Kulbergs acknowledged that, to his surprise, Lithuania and Estonia had already agreed to remove the two men from the sanctions list. He stressed that the Baltic states should have a common position and that the issue needs to be addressed.
“The choice was harsh – either a very bad situation or a bad situation,” the politician said.
He also expressed surprise that Latvia’s interests had apparently never really been on the table at any point.
Asked whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had failed to fully carry out its responsibilities in this situation, the prime minister reiterated that the ministry should have coordinated Latvia’s position so that the country was not left as the last one in Europe and forced into a choice between lifting sanctions on two individuals or allowing sanctions against 2,600 people to expire.
The prime minister said Latvia had remained “firm” in its position and had not agreed to the move, but was ultimately forced to abstain.
Nevertheless, the head of government concluded that the situation had ended on a positive note and that Latvia had succeeded in defending its interests, pointing to France’s promises to help strengthen Latvia’s defence. He said Latvia had also received written confirmation of these commitments.
As previously reported, Latvia’s objections on Monday evening halted the EU member states’ decision-making process on lifting sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman.
On Tuesday afternoon, Latvia changed its approach and opted for a constructive abstention,
thereby allowing the necessary unanimity to be reached.
EU member state representatives consequently agreed on Tuesday to extend sanctions against thousands of Russian individuals and legal entities for three years, while removing Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list.
The EU agreed to remove Usmanov from the sanctions list following tense negotiations in which France linked his delisting to a prisoner exchange with Azerbaijan.
Another Russian oligarch, Fridman, was also removed after Slovakia used its veto to oppose keeping him on the list, several diplomats told Euronews.
At the same time,
the Latvian government on Tuesday imposed national-level financial and entry restrictions on Fridman and Usmanov,
according to documents attached to the agenda of the Cabinet meeting.
Speaking to journalists after the government meeting, Prime Minister Kulbergs stressed that Latvia had not changed its position and continued to believe that these individuals should remain under sanctions.
At the same time, Latvia had found itself in a situation where it had to decide whether to insist that the two men remain on the sanctions list, thereby risking the expiry of sanctions against another 2,600 supporters of Russia’s war, or allow their removal. Latvia therefore abstained in the vote.
The prime minister also said he had discussed the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian representatives, who, according to Kulbergs, understood the situation.
Kulbergs also said that over the previous 24 hours he had been in intensive contact with the leaders of several European countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron. According to the prime minister, the talks covered not only sanctions policy but also resulted in significant progress towards closer Latvian-French cooperation on security and defence.
Kulbergs said
President Macron had agreed to begin talks with Latvia on joining France’s Forward Nuclear Deterrence Initiative,
and that a French delegation would visit Latvia in the near future to launch the discussions.
According to Kulbergs, Macron also expressed a commitment to strengthen France’s military presence in Latvia, particularly in the area of air defence. Such a commitment, he said, would strengthen the security not only of Latvia but of NATO’s entire eastern flank.
Kulbergs also acknowledged that he had been forced to deal with the issue unexpectedly after receiving a phone call from the Irish prime minister on Monday. Sanctions policy is primarily the responsibility of the foreign minister, the head of government stressed.
The prime minister did not deny that the sanctions issue had effectively “landed on his desk out of nowhere”, but said it nevertheless had to be resolved. He had not yet had an opportunity to question Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže (New Unity) about the matter, as she was on a visit to New York.
The State Chancellery told the LETA news agency that the government had given the MFA, as the institution responsible for coordinating sanctions issues, a firm mandate to achieve the strongest possible sanctions regime.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence have been instructed to prepare Latvia’s position, a specific model for cooperation and a timetable for further negotiations both on Latvia’s participation in France’s nuclear deterrence initiative and on strengthening France’s military presence in Latvia.
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