Edgars Rinkēvičs declared that Russia lacks the troops for an invasion of NATO, but urged the Alliance to prepare for any escalation.
Edgars Rinkēvičs / © Associated Press
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, does not rule out the possibility of escalation from Russia against NATO countries, but believes that Moscow currently lacks the resources for a full-scale attack on the Alliance.
The Latvian leader stated this in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
“We must be prepared. No options can be excluded. But I would say that we should not be afraid. We must simply convey a very, very short and weighty message: if Russia challenges NATO, the Alliance will respond appropriately,” Rinkēvičs said.
He added that as of today, Russia does not have the troops to carry out a full-scale invasion of any NATO country. The President of Latvia also emphasized that the security of Europe is closely linked to Ukraine, as achieving stable peace without the European continent is impossible. And Ukraine’s integration into the EU is a direct security interest of the union itself.
The Latvian leader added that even spending 5% of GDP on defense will not help if factories cannot produce weapons fast enough.
“You have the money, but you also need to have the armaments, missiles, equipment that you can buy with that money. And here we see that we have some problems with the defense industry,” he explained.
Rinkēvičs also assessed Europe’s chances of defending itself independently if the United States reduces its troops. According to him, European countries would need a lot of time and money for the army and equipment to reach the level of US defense.
“I would say that today the United States is indispensable in the defense of Europe and in making NATO successful as an Alliance,” the President of Latvia concluded.
Russia is “breaking through” NATO borders – latest news:
We remind you that US and European intelligence agencies warn that Russia is preparing military provocations against Poland and the Baltic states in the near future. Due to constant threats and Russian drones in its skies, Poland is actively preparing to defend itself: a large army reserve is being created there, and civilians are already being trained to act in case of war.
The US has also warned Poland several times about a possible Russian-prepared armed provocation, which, according to sources, could occur within the next few months.
By the way, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are developing an evacuation plan for 400,000 people in case of a Russian attack. The Baltic states have long been warning their NATO partners about potential Russian aggression.
Comments Sort: New Old Popular Send