![]() ![]() He said the NATO heads of state meeting in Brussels this week demonstrated the alliance’s continued unity in the face of the invasion of Ukraine, which began a month ago, and its increased commitment to the defense of its eastern flank – from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Levits said, “we know Russia we have 50 years of occupation” as part of Latvian history after World War II before the Soviet Union collapsed. But even in the case of natural gas, he said Latvia is turning to the United States for liquefied natural gas supplies to meet its needs. Russia remains a major energy supplier to the Baltic states. “We have changed our attitude Russia.” He added Latvia had been distancing itself from Moscow on energy by buying from other sources. Levits said, “we are supporting Ukraine because Ukraine is right.” He added any decision over a cease-fire or later agreement must be made by Kyiv and not dictated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. ![]() ![]() In the alliance before Russia’s invasion, “there was a certain naïveté” about “the character of Putin’s Russia.” He added, “the good news is the naïveté has disappeared in the last week,” with a renewed commitment to support Ukraine with weapons like anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, humanitarian and medical supplies and by welcoming refugees fleeing the fighting. Speaking at an online Washington Post forum Friday, Egils Levits said appeasement tactics “are not fruitful.” He compared those situations in the 21st century to the Munich concessions to Adolf Hitler in 1938 over the future of Czechoslovakia. The president of Latvia argued today that if NATO had reacted more strongly in 2008 to Russian aggression against neighboring Georgia and the Kremlin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, Moscow wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine. Latvian Armed Forces soldiers take part in multinational training during Saber Strike 22 at Camp Adazi, Latvia, March 7, 2022. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |