Latvia continues to play a pivotal role in Eastern European security dynamics, notably by bolstering defense ties with Ukraine. As political tensions escalate, Latvia has taken a firm stance in support of Ukraine, objecting to Russian disinformation campaigns and warning against aerial threats posed by suspected drones in its vicinity. Recent dialogues between Latvia's and Ukraine's defense ministries aim to modernize Latvia’s air defense systems, further solidifying their military cooperation. Moreover, Latvia’s allocation of significant funds to support Ukraine underscores its commitment. These actions align with Latvia’s broader strategic interests in maintaining regional stability and resisting Russian aggression.
What steps is Latvia taking to support Ukraine?
Latvia has taken several measures to support Ukraine, including transferring armored vehicles and drones to Ukrainian forces. Furthermore, Latvia collaborates with Ukraine to modernize its air defense systems, reinforcing military ties and regional security cooperation. Additionally, Latvia has allocated financial resources to aid Ukrainian defense efforts and actively objected to Russian disinformation about Ukraine.
How is Latvia addressing drone threats from Russia?
Latvia, along with Estonia, has identified aerial threats potentially posed by drones from Russia. The Latvian government, alongside its Baltic neighbors, has heightened surveillance and defense measures, including partially closing its airspace and enhancing air defense systems with help from Ukraine. These steps aim to prevent airspace violations and protect national security.
How has Latvia protested against Russian actions?
Latvia has formally expressed its objections to Russia's disinformation and aggression, notably by summoning the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy and lodging protests against false narratives about Ukraine. Furthermore, Latvia condemns Russia's military actions and seeks European diplomatic interventions to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
What military collaborations exist between Latvia and Ukraine?
Latvia and Ukraine engage in robust military cooperation, highlighted by joint defense projects and personnel exchanges. Latvia has provided military aid to Ukraine, including armored vehicles and drones. Both nations discuss strategic defense alignments and share expertise to enhance their collective capabilities, particularly in air defense and unmanned aerial vehicle development.
Why does Latvia support Ukraine in the conflict with Russia?
Latvia's support for Ukraine is driven by shared regional security interests in deterring Russian aggression and maintaining stability in Eastern Europe. Supporting Ukraine aligns with Latvia's national security priorities, helps uphold international norms, and reinforces NATO's eastern defense posture. Latvia views its support as a moral and strategic duty to maintain peace.
What are Latvia's plans for modernizing its defense systems?
Latvia is focused on modernizing its defense systems, working closely with Ukraine to incorporate advanced technologies and expertise. This includes upgrading air defense capabilities, procuring state-of-the-art equipment, and participating in collaborative defense projects within NATO alliances. These efforts are aimed at bolstering national security and readiness against potential threats.
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Atlantic Resolve Operation: American Abrams tanks and Bradley armored fighting vehicles arrived to Latvia. PHOTOS+VIDEO Over 120 pieces of US armor including M1A2 Abrams tanks and six AFV M2A3 Bradleys arrived by ship to Riga, Monday, March 9, where they were unloaded. 113 912 439
Crimea was, is, and shall remain Ukrainian, - Latvian President Vejonis Latvia shuts out recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea. 14 377 248 Previously in trend: Occupation of Crimea
Russia wants to divert attention from ongoing aggression against Ukraine, – Poroshenko President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko thanked the leaders of the Baltic countries for their support and solidarity with Ukraine. 15 152 219
Latvia Is Ready to Recognize the DPR and LPR as Terrorist Organizations - Ambassador The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia in response to the appeal of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is ready to recognize the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics as terrorist organizations. 17 694 208 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine
Kremlin propagandist Graham Phillips detained in Latvia. VIDEO The British was nagging at the participants of a rally to commemorate fighters of the Latvian Legion. 79 929 203
Author of petition on Latvia merger with Russia got six months in jail A Latvian court on Friday sentenced Maksim Koptelov, an ethnic Russian resident, to six months in prison for launching an online petition calling for the country to merge with Russia. 16 858 181
Latvian society is tired of refugees from Ukraine, - head of Ministry of Internal Affairs The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia Kristaps Eklons admitted that the society and businessmen feel tired of reception of military refugees from Ukraine. 48 413 178
Baltic states decide to disconnect from joint electrical system with Russia and Belarus The authorities of the Baltic countries made the decision to disconnect from the joint power supply system BRELL, which connects Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus and Russia. 46 844 175
Presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia travel by train to Kyiv. PHOTOS Presidents of Poland Andrzej Duda, Estonia Alan Karis, Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, and Latvian President Egils Levits are also heading to Kyiv. 21 288 155 Previously in trend: War
"Russia does not fulfill Minsk agreements," - Poroshenko held meeting with authorities of Defense Ministry of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. PHOTOS The President of Ukraine held meeting with Vice Minister of Defense of the Republic of Poland Tomasz Szatkowski, Minister of Defence of Latvia Raimonds Bergmanis, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Lithuania Juozas Olekas, and Minister of Defence of Estonia Hannes Hanso. 21 527 145
Merkel Is Going to Latvia to Discuss Ukrainian Conflict German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel is going to visit Riga on August 18 to discuss situation in eastern Ukraine with the leaders of Latvia. 21 960 135
Mayor of Daugavpils, Latvia, Elksninsh, called Crimea Russian and did not say that Russian Federation is aggressor Andrejs Elksninsh, the mayor of Daugavpils, Latvia’s second-largest city, called Crimea Russian, and also avoided calling Russia the aggressor and the sole culprit of the war. 21 328 131 Previously in trend: War
Department of State approves shipments of American-made lethal weapons to Ukraine by Baltic countries- Reuters The U.S. Department of State approved the request of the Baltic states and allowed them to supply American-made lethal weapons to Ukraine 24 872 128
NATO member countries agreed to deploy four battalions in Poland and Baltics, - Stoltenberg NATO leaders agreed to send four allied forces battalions in Poland and the Baltic states. 11 191 122
"Destruction, death, explosions": Lukashenko's dictator associate Volfovich threatened Poland, Lithuania and Latvia with war The so-called " State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus" Alexander Volfovich threatened three EU countries - Poland, Lithuania and Latvia - with "destruction, death and explosions". 53 858 120
Russian Federation Bomber’ Flights Over Baltic Sea Is Provocative Act of Military Nature - Latvian Ministry of Defense The Latvian Defense Minister Raymonds Vejonis said that the Russian bombers’ flights over the Baltic Sea, which, as previously reported, were spotted by the NATO military and the Armed Forces of Estonia and Latvia are military provocation. 9 419 100
"Fugitive officials’ henchmen told me they pay $200,000 each," - MP Pashynskyi on reasons behind downvoting of special forfeiture law People’s Front parliamentary faction MP Serhii Pashynskyi says the fugitive ex-officials of Yanukovych tenure offer bribes to lawmakers for downvoting the bill on special confiscation. 54 464 100
Latvia PM resigns after meeting with president, - Reuters Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma said on Monday that she was resigning her post. 19 199 98
Ukraine fails to return embezzled funds as information exchange with Latvia flops, - lawyer Ukraine has failed to return money stolen by certain Yanukovych era officials and kept on bank accounts in Latvia due to the lack of communication with Latvia's law enforcement agencies. 18 346 94 Previously in trend: Yanukovych Family
NATO jets intercept Russian military aircraft near Latvia NATO air jets have intercepted a Russian military aircraft above the Baltic Sea near Latvia border. 18 242 86 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine
Ukraine grateful to partners for sanctions imposed against Russia over disrespect for Minsk deal, - Poroshenko Ukraine is grateful to its European and international partners for maintaining sanctions against the Russian Federation due to constant violations of the Minsk agreements. 11 251 83 Previously in trend: Sanctions against Russia
Latvia will hand over its entire fleet of helicopters to Ukraine, - Prime Minister Karins Latvia has already provided Ukraine with military aid alone amounting to more than 1% of its GDP, including the transfer of all available Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, and is preparing to complete the transfer of all its helicopters. 23 438 80 Previously in trend: Aid to Ukraine War
Latvia erected first three kilometers of fence on border with Russia First three kilometers of fence have been erected on the Latvian-Russian border, intended to be one of the ways of restraining illegal migrants. 17 547 79
Eight countries at UN condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine Eight Nordic and Baltic states strongly support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. 5 589 78
Latvia Arrested Accounts of Company Which Sold Ukraine Overpriced Boiko’s Drilling Tower Latvian state police arrested Highway Investments Processing LLP company accounts which sold Chornomornaftogaz the drilling tower at an overstated price. 11 636 73 Previously in trend: Boyko Platforms
Sberbank to sell its subsidiary in Ukraine Russia's biggest bank Sberbank is selling its subsidiary in Ukraine to a consortium of investors. 31 403 70
Baltic States and Poland will close entry of Russians with Schengen visas from September 19 Starting from September 19, Estonia closes entry for citizens of Russia, in particular those who have Schengen visas issued by third countries. 8 315 69 Previously in trend: War
Russia needed provocation rather than Eurovision, - Poroshenko The Russian Federation was not willing to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv. 13 451 63
Russian Air Incursions Rattle Baltic States - The Financial Times The Baltic countries are registering a dramatic increase in Russian military provocations, rattling nerves in a region which fears it could be the next frontier after Ukraine in Moscow’s quest at asserting its regional power. 13 298 62 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine
Olena Zelenska visits Ukrainian school in Riga. PHOTOS First Lady Olena Zelenska and Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba have visited a Ukrainian secondary school in Riga. 12 106 61
NATO has no information that Russian UAV in Latvia was crashed intentionally NATO said it had no information that the crash of the Russian UAV in Latvia was intentional. 3 251 59 Previously in trend: War
Latvian budget boosted with €50M embezzled by former Ukrainian officials, - Delfi Latvia continues a probe into the origin of money that could be stolen from Ukraine's state budget and legalized by Latvian banks. However, the Prosecutor General's Office of Latvia says Ukraine has not provided any materials on the funds embezzled by former government officials. 21 340 59 Previously in trend: Yanukovych Family
Parliament of Latvia recognized Russia as state sponsor of terrorism The Parliament of Latvia recognized Russia’s violence against the civilian population of Ukraine and other countries as terrorism, and Russia itself as a state that supports terrorism. 5 020 57 Previously in trend: War
Russian TV channel "Rain" was stripped of its broadcasting license in Latvia The National Council of Electronic Media of Latvia (NEPLP) decided to cancel the broadcast license of the Russian opposition TV channel "Rain". 5 828 54
President and Minister of Defense of Latvia called on NATO to provide Ukraine with tanks and planes: "No alternatives, compromises, peace talks" Latvian President Egils Levits and the country’s Defense Minister Artis Pabriks called on NATO allies to provide Ukraine with modern combat tanks and aircraft, and also warned against weakening their resolve in countering Russia. 3 960 51 Previously in trend: Aid to Ukraine War
Russia must be destroyed. We should not draw red lines for ourselves - President of Latvia Rinkevičs European countries should not be afraid of Russia, and the West should not be afraid to draw red lines. 10 906 51
Russian language will no longer be taught in Latvian schools Latvia will make one of EU languages a second foreign one at schools by 2026/2027 academic year. Schoolchildren will probably no longer be able to study Russian as a second foreign language. 5 174 50
Russian TV channel "Rain" was fined 10,000 euros in Lithuania: it marked Crimea as "part of Russian Federation", called army "ours" The National Council for Electronic Mass Media of Latvia (NEPLP) fined the Russian TV channel "Rain" for 10,000 euros. 5 550 49
In office of President of Latvia Levits, Russian-language letter of MEP Zhdanok was ignored The office of Latvian President Egils Levits left the open letter of MEP Tetiana Zhdanok unanswered. In a letter written mostly in Russian, she demanded and called to explain why the website of the head of state will no longer have this language. 8 516 47
"NATO will deploy by rotation four robust multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland," - Stoltenberg NATO defense ministers agreed on important measures to strengthen the Alliance’s defense in the Black Sea region. 5 855 44
Latvia hands over first cars confiscated from drunk drivers to Ukraine The Sejm of Latvia passed a decision on the transfer to Ukraine of eight cars that were confiscated from drunk drivers. 15 799 44
Latvia urged to limit Russians' entry to the EU after terrorist attack in Olenivka - Rinkevich Latvia again proposed a ban on EU tourist visas for Russians after the terrorist attack in Olenivka. 4 863 44
We should give weapons to Ukraine and not tell Armed Forces where they can hit and where not - Head of Foreign Ministry of Latvia Rinkevich Ukraine needs to be given any weapon capable of destroying bases with missiles and long-range aircraft on the territory of Russia, and not to tell it where it can hit and where it cannot. 4 954 43 Previously in trend: War
Fence construction is completed on Latvian-Belarusian border. PHOTO Latvia has completed the construction of a 145-kilometre fence on the border with Belarus, worth more than €125 million. 5 987 42
War could last for years: Latvia called for supplies of weapons to Ukraine "as much as needed" The Russian-Ukrainian war could last for months or even years. Western countries must supply weapons to Ukraine until complete victory. 5 333 41 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine War
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on revocation of license of "Dozhd" TV channel: We have freedom of speech, but laws must be followed The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgar Rinkevich, said that the country will provide diplomats of foreign countries with detailed explanations as to why the Russian TV channel "Dozhd" was deprived of its broadcasting license. 2 499 40
Putin is two steps ahead of Europe, we must prepare for hybrid war - President of Latvia Rinkevics Latvian President Edgars Rinkevičs called on NATO partners to act in advance and be ready for a hybrid war. 5 429 40 Previously in trend: War
Five US Air Force Black Hawks reinforce NATO battalion in Latvia. PHOTOS On Wednesday morning, March 1, five U.S. Black Hawk helicopters were delivered to Latvia as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. 28 654 40
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