Latvia’s Foreign Minister @Braze_Baiba meets with Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr @VivianBala 🇱🇻🤝🇸🇬
The officials discussed the positive development of bilateral relations between Latvia and Singapore, as well as cooperation within international organisations. B. Braže expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to welcome the Singaporean Foreign Minister on the first ever official visit to Latvia this year and highlighted the successful cooperation between the two countries in the field of cyber defence.
#UNGA81
📸 Photo: MFA of Latvia
At the #UNGA81 High-Level Side Event on Global Food Security and the Black Sea, 🇱🇻’s FM @Braze_Baiba: 💬 Russia is waging a war on global food security. The world should not pay the price for Russia’s aggression through higher food prices, shortages and worsening food insecurity. Latvia calls for an immediate cessation of all attacks on international civilian vessels and Ukrainian 🇺🇦 port infrastructure in the Black Sea, and supports an immediate moratorium and safe passage for commercial vessels. 📸 Photo: MFA of Latvia
So, Latvia is the only (!) EU country resisting the removal of Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list, receives supportive words from Ukraine, but at home meanwhile gets berated for it. What have I missed?
Sanctions were meant to be a common instrument.
From today they are a barter object.
The EU today extended sanctions against almost 3000 individuals and companies for 36 months. Setting sanctions for three years, without the need to renew them every six months, was a long-awaited and necessary decision. The price of this decision? The removal of two Russian oligarchs – Usmanov and Fridman – from the sanctions list. This was first demanded by Slovakia, then France, and then Luxembourg. They, of course, had their reasons. National interests, arbitration claims. None of them are related either to Ukraine or to European security.
The worst part of this whole story is that there is no basis for removing the two oligarchs from the sanctions list. Both appealed their listing in the EU court. Both lost. So the evidence was sufficient, the procedure worked as it should. And now they are taken off the list anyway, because one or another EU country has “national interests”. It is hard to imagine a better gift to strengthen Moscow's rhetoric – that EU sanctions are simply arbitrary punishment without any justification, an unjust penalty that can be applied and removed based on political expediency or the mood of the day. We have consistently proven for years that this is not so. Today in the afternoon we refuted ourselves.
Latvia held out longest against its objections and, as it turns out, in the end we stood alone. In the end we abstained – after France allegedly offered closer cooperation on air defence and potential access to its nuclear umbrella. Now read the previous sentence again. Objections to sanctions policy were “resolved” with an offer of bilateral cooperation in the security field. However good the offer may be, the EU's common foreign and security policy does not work that way.
No one, of course, recorded in any protocol or decision the release of imprisoned French citizens. But everyone knew what exactly was being bought. Authoritarian regimes now have a new and proven method: kidnap or arrest an EU citizen, put pressure on the respective country's leadership, and EU policy towards Russia becomes a negotiable matter.
The Kremlin drew its conclusions within a couple of hours – it supported Paris and Luxembourg and demanded the lifting of sanctions on all Russian businessmen and all Russian citizens.
Pandora's box, once opened, simply cannot be closed again.
The three-year cycle is the only good element of today's decision. The need to renew sanctions every six months subjected the entire EU common policy to blackmail and dependence on the directions of “political winds” and electoral cycles.
But nothing prevents the other EU member states from acting. Latvia will impose national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman. The other 23 member states can also do it as early as tomorrow. Interesting whether they will.
Ombuds Karina Palkova has found significant violations of children's rights in a children's home in Latgale, including insufficient nutrition and funding for children's needs, as well as inadequate communication by staff in the state language. https://t.co/r1tT2juzxThttps://t.co/pChCCyo3UG
Call to Latvian businesses! Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency (DOT) has announced a tender for supplies of disposable FPV strike and reconnaissance-strike drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
📍 Key conditions:
-The tender is based on specific tactical and technical requirements, not on specific manufacturers or models.
-Producers and suppliers whose products meet the specified requirements and who have at least one codified FPV drone product may participate.
-No single supplier can be awarded more than 50% of the total procurement volume, thus promoting competition and supply security.
-The procurement procedure will be carried out in a secure environment in accordance with defense procurement security requirements.
📍 Verification process:
Before participating in the tender, companies must undergo the verification process of the Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency (DOT).
After verification, companies will receive the detailed tactical and technical requirements, the list of documents to be submitted, and participation instructions.
Companies that have already undergone DOT verification previously do not need to re-verify.
Application for participation:
Companies that are not yet verified must contact DOT by September 23, 2026, to apply for participation in the tender.
https://t.co/mqUJvP22EJ
Foreign Minister @Braze_Baiba meets with Singapore's Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan 🇱🇻🤝🇸🇬
The officials discussed the positive development of bilateral relations between Latvia and Singapore and cooperation in international organizations. B. Braže expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to host Singapore's Foreign Minister for the first time on an official visit to Latvia this year, and highlighted the successful cooperation between the two countries in the field of cyber defense.
#UNGA81
📸 Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Minister @Braze_Baiba met with representatives of the American Jewish Committee and other Jewish organizations to discuss the Middle East peace process, Russia's war against Ukraine 🇺🇦, antisemitism and disinformation.
The conversation emphasised the need to tackle hate speech and disinformation that fuel division and polarisation. Representatives of the American Jewish Committee thanked Latvia 🇱🇻 for its support for Israel's security and efforts to combat antisemitism.
🛡️How would the New Unity team act in a crisis situation when decisions need to be made quickly?
📌In the pre-election game “Hour X in Silgale” of “Forbidden Technique”, the New Unity team tests its ability to respond to a complex security situation at the border.
➡️Watch what decisions the team made: https://t.co/1ISv1hEDat
I read Twitter and don't understand. How exactly did Latvia worsen its position by unreservedly opposing the removal of Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list? We didn't achieve justice, yes, but why are Kulbergs or Braže to be blamed? Because they defended the position?
Thank you, dear @Braze_Baiba, for your principled stance and for leading the way on the national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman. We encourage everyone else to follow this lead. https://t.co/Tj7gUWtW0a
Thank you, dear @Braze_Baiba, for your principled stance and for leading the way on the national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman. We encourage everyone else to follow this lead. https://t.co/Tj7gUWtW0a
NEW!! As EU removes Russian billionaires Usmanov and Fridman from its sanctions list, Latvia says it has "already adopted national sanctions on two politically de-listed individuals." https://t.co/Eom6uvEf8m