Latvia's foreign minister warns of Russian sabotage acts on Europe
For many countries in Europe that recall living under Soviet occupation, the specter of the Russian threat is never far from mind. Many of those nations are now part of NATO, the alliance built to repel that threat. One of those states that was occupied for half a century is Latvia, a NATO member that borders Russia. Nick Schifrin spoke with its foreign minister after an active week of diplomacy.
Many European nations still remember living under Soviet occupation, making the Russian threat a constant concern. Several of these countries are now members of NATO, an alliance created to counter that threat. Latvia, a NATO member situated next to Russia, is particularly affected. Nick Schifrin interviewed Latvia's Foreign Minister, Baiba Braze, following a week of intense diplomacy.
During this period, the U.S. CIA Director met with Russian officials to issue a warning about potential sabotage attacks on NATO members. U.S. and European officials have grown increasingly apprehensive about instances of sabotage across Europe, attributing them to Russian actors. These incidents include armed drones spotted at Leipzig Airport in Germany and a near-assassination attempt on an American citizen in Poland.
The Baltics have frequently been targeted by Russian cyber and sabotage attacks. Latvia's Foreign Minister explained that Russia's warfare doctrine encompasses all kinds of threats, including cyber, disinformation, sabotage, and even assassination of activists. While there's no immediate military threat to Latvia, the overall security situation in Europe is highly active and requires a robust response.
Minister Braze noted that Latvia's military forces are prepared for any necessary actions but emphasized that this doesn't mean Russia is deterred from a direct military campaign against NATO. Instead, it indicates that Russia is focusing on various non-conventional methods to challenge countries. Kremlin officials deny involvement in these incidents, but European officials believe Russian intelligence actors are behind them.
Putin's actions may stem from both testing NATO's resilience and undermining support for Ukraine. Some analysts fear that domestic pressure on Putin might lead to escalating the war beyond Ukraine's borders. In this volatile security landscape, Russia's attempts to undermine trust in NATO and NATO's resilience pose significant challenges.
Written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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