Latvia is not in danger of a war with Russia, but the current situation is tenser than a year ago, Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said
RIGA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd February, 2022) Latvia is not in danger of a war with Russia, but the current situation is tenser than a year ago, Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said.
"At this moment, we are not in danger of war... At the same time, we need to understand that the situation is worse than it was a year or two ago. I can reassure you: in the near future I do not see why there would be a direct threat to Latvia. We feel quite strong and we are definitely better prepared than in 2014. Also, the prestige of Latvia and the opportunities of our partners are much greater," Pabriks told the Diena newspaper.
Latvia has been a member of NATO since 2004.
Tensions between the West and Russia mounted over the past few months due to an escalation in the Ukrainian crisis, with Kiev and Western nations accusing Russia of an intention to attack Ukraine, citing a troop buildup along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Moscow maintains that it has the right to move its military forces within its territory, taking into account the growing presence of NATO in Eastern Europe, which Russia considers a threat to its national security.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said that Moscow does not exclude that the "hysteria" around Ukraine fueled by the West is aimed at concealing Kiev's plans to sabotage the Minsk Agreements on Donbas.
