Jūlija Stepaņenko, the prime ministerial candidate of the Sovereign Power/Young Latvians alliance, did not provide a specific assessment of the threat posed by Russia to Latvia in an interview on the podcast “Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!”, instead stressing the need for an active foreign policy and for relations with other countries to be handled through diplomacy.
“To ensure that no one threatens Latvia, we need a very active foreign policy,” Stepaņenko said.
The politician did not clarify whether, in her view, Russia currently poses a threat to Latvia. She said geopolitical relations should be managed through diplomacy and criticised the actions of current Foreign Minister Baiba Braže (JV), who, in Stepaņenko’s view, is escalating tensions in Latvia’s relations with other countries.
Stepaņenko also declined to comment on statements about the Baltic states made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, which have been widely reported by Latvian and international media.
“What do I have to do with some former politicians?” Stepaņenko responded when asked about threats Medvedev has made concerning Latvia, among other countries. She added that she had nothing to do with former presidents or their statements.
The politician stressed that the alliance stands for a free and independent Latvia and condemns war and aggression. However, she declined to give an assessment of whether Ukraine had provoked Russia’s full-scale attack.
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