Latvian Political Monitor

🇪🇺 citizens do not have to pay the entire war bill 🇺🇦, expenses should be covered from 🇷🇺 frozen assets in Europe. It is enough to guard them, they would suffice for 🇺🇦 a full year of warfare https://t.co/TkOUQy3c35

Russia must not be normalized by allowing it to return to the table in sports, motorsport, the Olympics, culture, and music.

The unity of the Baltic states is our strength – both in protecting democracy and the rule of law, and in ensuring accountability for violations of international law. 🤝 Today in Tallinn, together with the justice ministers of Estonia and Lithuania, we met with the Speaker of the Estonian Parliament, Lauri Husaru, to discuss issues that are currently important for all Baltic states. 🗳️ Democratic processes must be protected. Elections must be safe, fair, and trustworthy. With the increasing risks of foreign interference, disinformation, and malicious use of new technologies, the Baltic states must be able to timely prevent threats and strengthen public trust in democracy. ⚖️ Russia's aggression against Ukraine must have consequences. International crimes cannot remain unpunished. Latvia and Estonia must continue to work together to ensure that Russia feels real consequences for its aggression and that accountability is ensured for the crimes committed.

My address to the people of Ukraine on the National Flag Day on 23 August in Kyiv https://t.co/fWxLtu9pzH

Russia's aggression and the international crimes it has committed must have consequences! We clearly confirmed this today in Tallinn together with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Lithuanian Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė. 🇺🇦 On Ukraine's Independence Day, our message is especially important – the Ukrainian people have the right to decide for themselves about their freedom, their country, and their future. Our task is to ensure that Russia is held accountable for its crimes and that they do not go unpunished. We also discussed Belarus's instrumentalization of migration, which puts pressure on our region. Such attempts to use people to create political pressure are unacceptable. 🇱🇻🇪🇪🇱🇹 And we must also be united on regional development issues – including the Rail Baltica project and the defense of our common interests in the European Union. United Baltic states are stronger – both in defending the rule of law, security, and the future of our region.

🇱🇻🇪🇪🇱🇹 Baltic security also begins with strong democracy and the rule of law. Today in Tallinn, together with the Estonian and Lithuanian justice ministers, we discussed how to strengthen our countries' resilience against increasingly complex threats. 🗳️ Democracy must also be protected in elections — against foreign interference, disinformation, and malicious use of artificial intelligence. In Latvia we have already introduced mechanisms to mitigate such risks, including the requirement to indicate the use of AI in pre-election campaigning and accountability for the use of misleading deepfakes. ⚖️ At the same time, we must be prepared for Russia's attempts to use law as an instrument of political pressure. Here, united and coordinated action by the Baltic states is especially important. 📉 However, a strong state is not a state with as many rules as possible. Regulation must be understandable, proportionate, and not create unnecessary burden on people and businesses. 🤝 Regular Baltic cooperation is essential to respond to common threats in a unified, timely, and practical way.

Yesterday the NB8 (Nordic countries + Baltics) leaders' meeting took place in Kyiv, on Ukraine's national flag day. Here's a small excerpt from my closing speech https://t.co/opFI6GZB8d

@ZigmundStankev1 I maintain this position in all foreign affairs conversations

🇱🇻 Latvia is currently paying for security from which all of Europe benefits. However, the bill remains largely with us. From 2027, Latvia will spend at least 5% of GDP on defense. We are strengthening the EU and NATO external border with the aggressor state. This border is not only Latvia's border—it is Europe's security border. But the current system is unfair. ➖️ Latvia borrows money to build fortifications and strengthen the eastern border. ➖️ Due to border-area risk, we pay higher interest on this debt. ➖️ Due to geopolitical risk, Latvia also loses investments and tourists. ➖️ At the same time, we buy billions worth of armaments and military equipment mainly from 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇫🇷 France, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇳🇱 the Netherlands, 🇪🇸 Spain and other countries. So Latvia takes on the debt and risk, while our defense spending simultaneously warms Western European economies. And all this is done to protect not only Riga or Daugavpils. Deterrence at Latvia's border also makes Berlin, Munich, Paris and Amsterdam safer. Therefore, the 7 billion euros Latvia is asking for is not “extra money for Latvia.” It is part of the cost of protecting Europe's common border. In seven years, that would be only about 0.4% of the nearly 2 trillion euro EU budget. For 449 million Europeans—about 2.23 euros per person per year. One coffee. For Latvia's inhabitants—about 540 euros per year. This difference very clearly shows the problem. Latvia will defend its border in any case. The question is—will all of Europe pay for Europe's common security, or will we leave a disproportionately large share of the bill to countries that happen geographically to be next to the aggressor's border? We are not asking for solidarity just for the sake of solidarity. We are offering the most effective European security investment—investing money where the real threat is. 🇪🇺 Europe's eastern border is common. The bill for its defense must also be common. https://t.co/oyE1yMcnR2

@Krisjanis_K @poznaks @JurgisLiepnieks Right now that would be a challenge (today it's already 2x better than 2 months ago), but R.Melnis has a plan, and by the end of the year there should be much improved detection and more effective interception (at least 2x).

It is very good that at last the full list of those who cooperate with the orcs has been published. The argument that time is needed to enter other markets is long over! This is a matter of morality and business ethics. Viewable here: https://t.co/DfWMdeaMmO https://t.co/kH1LFJszW7