Latvia needs to be prepared for any threats, said Commander of Latvian National Guard Aivars Krjukovs in an interview to “Ir” magazine, answering the question how real the risk of Russian invasion really is for Baltic States in the coming years.
“Tomorrow we will be better than we were yesterday. […] All the conditions to prepare us have been met, and we will continue this both in regards to border defence plans and equipping units. Because every day we become better, the less we will have to talk about the possibility of this scenario,” Krjukovs concluded. “We cannot exclude anything, but we have to be prepared at all times. As I’ve said, be innovative, experiment, look for better solutions, and not fear changing previously made decisions.”
When asked if Russia’s possible attack on a NATO member state is not massive, but rather takes the form of a provocation or a hybrid attack, the Commander of the National Guard agreed.
“These attacks are already happening. We do all we can to fight them off. Even now, after the sabotage of underwater cables, NATO’s presence in the region is increased. If we look at the territory of the country, we have here representatives from half of the NATO member states. We have so many sensors – these are soldiers here on the ground. If something happens, all countries automatically know what’s going on here. And this is speed. This is belief. It’s not 2014 – did something happen in Crimea or not? Green men – who are they? Such a scenario is no longer possible because we are in a completely different information space. We are ready, we the presence, and we have a better understanding of what we are capable of,” said Krjukovs.
He stressed that Russia’s provocative attack of a NATO member state would be an Article 5 case. “This is why we are ready today, we were ready yesterday and will be ready tomorrow”.
When asked when and how the war in Ukraine might end, Krjukovs said there are many factors to consider. “Where the US is with its position, where the EU is with its, and where Ukraine is able to take action. These are the three pillars everything is based on,” said Krjukovs. “Ukraine proved it can fight and not back off. We have to support them as we have been so far, and there can be no talk of giving territories to the aggressor state.”