Fear of Russia leads small Latvia to save conscription

Latvia is a country of the European Union and, above all, NATO, two supposed antidotes to any temptation by Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade this small republic, which was part of the USSR between 1940 and 1991. But neither is society. Not even the Latvian government has everything under control, and the specter of a Russian invasion following the precedent in Ukraine is omnipresent.

This fear is behind the decision announced on Wednesday by Latvian Foreign Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins to reintroduce the measure already under consideration. “We need to be in such a state of readiness that the Russian generals and the Russian political class clearly recognize that a path to Europe is impossible” he said in an interview for British newspaper The Telegraph, collected by Europa Press.

Karins points out that the goal is to send a clear message to Russia that “European defenses are fully up to the task” and that victory is not possible “without enormous losses” or that “no gains are possible.” In doing so, he recognized that although there is currently “no direct military threat” against a NATO country, preparations are being made for the hypothetical possibility. “Just because it’s hard to imagine doesn’t mean they can’t try,” he argued.

Karins has pointed out that even if Ukraine wins the war, “Russia remains a threat” and that if Moscow succeeds, it could set other goals later. “It is cheaper and much wiser to support Ukraine while strengthening our own defense,” he said. In January, on the eve of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Latvia launched this project requiring men between the ages of 18 and 27 to complete a year of military service, even if they live abroad.

“It’s about increasing the size of our active and prepared reserve,” he explained. The plan calls for financial penalties and even prison sentences for those who refuse military training this year, although some exceptions are being considered, whether for medical or family reasons or for dual nationals who have already served abroad. Latvia abolished conscription in 2006two years after joining NATO.

Currently Enough volunteers turned up so that the government did not have to call for troops. The goal is a combat-ready force of 61,000 soldiers. Since the invasion of Ukraine began, the Baltic states have been warning about the alleged risks they face.

A month ago they announced a joint plan to build “defense facilities” along the borders with Russia and Belarus to prevent a “military conflict” in the region. Latvia plans to increase defense spending to 3 percent to cover not only arms sales to Ukraine but also its trade deals with the US and Germany.

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