Latvia is taking the necessary measures to prevent drone incidents, President Edgars Rinkēvičs told journalists at a press conference on Wednesday after meeting with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity).
The president stressed that the incident in Poland demonstrates the direct impact of Russian aggression on regional security. In his view, this is a serious escalation to which the Polish Armed Forces responded appropriately.
Rinkēvičs noted that the National Armed Forces (NBS) are on heightened alert, as the Namejs military exercises are taking place and Russian and Belarusian maneuvers Zapad are also expected. He stated that the NBS’s heightened readiness will remain in effect as long as these exercises continue.
According to the president, there is close cooperation with NATO allies, including Baltic and Polish authorities, to analyze the situation. He emphasized that work with allies to strengthen Latvia’s security will continue. At the same time, he acknowledged that similar incidents cannot be fully ruled out in any border country.
Rinkēvičs said Latvia would support Poland if it requested NATO Article 4 consultations,
but whether to trigger this mechanism would have to be decided collectively by all allies. He urged against making premature predictions about the consequences of events in Poland.
The president stressed that the incident is a clear signal that countries must be prepared for various scenarios. “It is every state’s responsibility to strengthen its own capabilities,” he added.
Speaking about Latvia, Rinkēvičs emphasized that much has been done over the past year to increase border surveillance. He noted close communication with the Baltic Air Policing unit and said that response algorithms have been tested and refined.
Rinkēvičs also argued that
more must be done to increase economic pressure on Russia,
pointing to ongoing discussions within the European Union. He added that Latvia has many tasks ahead, as outlined in the NBS development plans.
Prime Minister Siliņa also confirmed she is in contact with her Polish counterpart and NATO partners. She highlighted that the NAF had already deployed additional units to the border last year, with mobile air defense units continuing their work. Siliņa stressed that no increased threats to Latvia have been detected at present.
As reported, Poland’s airspace was violated 19 times overnight into Wednesday, mostly from Belarusian territory, according to Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He confirmed the destruction of three drones and said a fourth UAV was likely also shot down.
“The fact that these drones, which posed a security threat, were destroyed changes the political situation,” Tusk said, adding that Warsaw has requested the activation of NATO’s Article 4.
Article 4 provides for consultations among NATO member states if any considers its territorial integrity, political independence, or security to be under threat.
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