'It's war against the West' — Latvian PM on Russian provocations against European countries

Russian President Vladimir Putin's government is waging a "war against the West" using a range of tactics, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs warned on August 24 during a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Kyiv. The prime minister described this as the "war of Russia against the West, the EU, and NATO."

Kulbergs highlighted the escalating use of hybrid warfare tactics by Russia, including sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns. Recent years have seen a surge in such activities, such as drone incursions into European airspace. Belarus has been implicated in organizing a migration crisis towards the EU, with criminal organizations profiting from the situation, according to Kulbergs.

This situation tests the EU's ability to counter such threats, both in terms of technical capabilities and response times. Belarus has been accused of facilitating irregular migration from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia to EU member states like Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland following the imposition of EU sanctions on Belarus in 2021.

Moreover, Russia's actions extend beyond migration, encompassing cyberattacks and attempts to disrupt elections and sway public opinion. The Baltic states have faced multiple drone incidents recently. Lithuania issued its first air raid alert in May after an unidentified drone entered its airspace from Belarus, prompting NATO to shoot down the drone. On August 14, a Latvian fighter jet also shot down a drone entering its airspace.

Lithuania has intelligence suggesting Russia might resort to unconventional kinetic attacks, such as using Ukrainian-made drones, in false-flag scenarios targeting critical infrastructure in the Baltic region. Kulbergs emphasized that Russia's actions have actually bolstered NATO, leading to the accession of Sweden and Finland.