Latvia is calling on NATO to establish an air-defense mission over the Baltic region and to counter Russian drones using tactics pioneered by Ukraine, President Edgars Rinkevics said Friday in Riga at a NATO Military Committee conference of chiefs of defense, according to the news outlet Delfi.
The Latvian President stressed that higher defense spending is a test for each country and for Europe as a whole.
“This isn’t about Excel spreadsheets or political slogans, but about real capabilities that armies, navies and air forces need to counter both new and traditional threats... Russia is a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and is testing Europe and NATO in every possible way,” he said.
Deterrence is the best way to protect NATO countries, he added, but it must be effective. Latvia will soon be ready to allocate 5% of its GDP to defense, he said.
As a neighbor of Russia and Belarus, Latvia recognizes its responsibility to strengthen NATO’s and the EU’s external border, including by countering illegal migration, Rinkevics said.
He called for turning Baltic air policing into a full air-defense mission and for using technological solutions against drones, drawing on Ukraine’s experience.
According to earlier reports, debris from the tail of a Russian drone was found on a beach in Varve parish, Ventspils region, Latvia
On September 11, Latvia also closed the airspace along its border with Russia and Belarus for a week to control the airspace and facilitate the detection of unauthorized aircraft.
