Latvia FM warns of Russia's enduring imperial ambitions, says NATO must prepare long-term deterrence
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Russia will not stop at Ukraine and will look for new "targets" after its aggression against Kyiv is over, Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Jan. 5.
The West needs a long-term strategy to contain Russia, as it has an "imperialistic-fuelled ideology," which means that the threat from Moscow will remain even under the new president and even if Ukraine regains all the occupied territories, the Latvian diplomat stated.
"Russia will not stop. Russia can only be stopped," said Kariņš.
“Stopping Russia in Ukraine does not mean that it is over. It simply means we will have to continue. That is what is important for NATO: that we will have to work on a long-term strategy of Russia containment.”
He also noted that the alliance needs to increase its defense industry's capacity and "interoperability" to ensure that different weapons systems are standardized and that ammunition and artillery can be shared among all members.
As soon as the Russian war against Ukraine is over, the war machine will begin to rebuild itself. The aggressor state will look for ways to provoke and create difficulties on its borders, so it is necessary to make sure that NATO is able to prevent any such incidents thanks to the alliance's determination and investment in defense, Kariņš stated.
Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a difficult period. Still, the diplomat is optimistic that Europe and the United States will support Ukraine militarily and financially, while Russia is only trying to "psych out" the West by claiming that it is "divided."
"Russia is trying to instill a doubt among us," he said.
“But Putin has managed to reinvigorate NATO. We have managed to converge on all issues to date regarding Ukraine.”
The unity of the West and NATO membership is essential for Ukraine after the war, Kariņš concluded.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier that Russia could attack Europe in the next few years.
In an interview with The Economist, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that if the West leaves Ukraine without help and allows Russia to win, the war will spread to NATO and the EU.
The German newspaper Bild reported on Dec. 23, citing its sources in the intelligence service of a European country, that Russia may try to attack Europe in late 2024 or early 2025.
Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer admitted on Dec. 9 that Germany may one day be forced to wage a defensive war against Russia.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Dec. 6 that Russia will attack NATO countries if it successfully invades Ukraine.
Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart, Commander of NATO's Multinational Corps North East, said on Dec. 5 that Russia is rebuilding its forces and capabilities and preparing for a possible confrontation with NATO.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Dec. 4 that Russia had begun to restore a strategic stockpile of nuclear-capable missiles to threaten NATO.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Nov. 24 that the region should prepare for a war with Russia, as Western support may not be enough for Ukraine to win.
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