“The Kremlin’s butcher” will try to stage a show on the 9th of May, predicted Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže (New Unity) during an interview on TV3’s “900 sekundes”.
Russia will attempt to create the illusion that it enjoys international support, the minister said. She assumed that some countries might participate in the event to “demonstrate some sort of symbolic ties.”
“But that does not concern us. These are not our holidays,” the minister emphasized.
Should any “disturbances” occur in Latvia in this context, the security and law enforcement services will handle them, Braže underlined.
She also reminded that the 8th of May marks the end of World War II. On that day, Braže will be attending an informal meeting of European foreign ministers in Warsaw.
Meanwhile, the 9th of May is Europe Day, and that is a celebration Latvia embraces, she added.
As previously reported by LETA, World War II ended in Europe on the 8th of May 1945, bringing peace. Unlike Western Europe, where nations regained their independence, Latvia and the Baltic States did not. Latvia restored its independence only on the 4th of May 1990, with the constitutional law affirming it on the 21st of August 1991.
On the 9th of May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, recognizing the threat of a third world war, proposed uniting coal and steel production among countries to ensure peace and improve living standards. This marked the first step toward the creation of the European Union, based on the belief that the continent’s development must be rooted in peace, not conflict.
In 1985, the 9th of May was officially designated Europe Day, symbolizing unity among countries—including those once at war with one another. Since 2004, Latvia has also celebrated the 9th of May as Europe Day.