Welcome to Riga and the Baltic military-industrial complex
Good morning. Angela Skujins penning this Friday newsletter from the bitter Baltics, where I’ve just spent the last few days immersed in beetroot soup, battlefield tactics and the scintillating spirit of the rīdzinieki, aka Rigan people.
The Rīga Conference kicked off yesterday with security and defence being the primary focus, marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Latvia, despite its small size, has a rich history of foreign domination and a deep understanding of Russian aggression, particularly in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The National flag of Latvia often waves alongside Ukraine's flag, symbolising the shared struggle against Russian aggression.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Office of the President, shared Ukraine's concerns about Russian aggression and the various hybrid warfare tactics being employed. The European Commission's Valdis Dombrovskis, a former Latvian Prime Minister, highlighted that Ukraine needs €23 billion more in funding and that Europe must assess the extent of Ukraine's budget needs before allocating funds.
Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide discussed the complex relationship between Israel and its allies, emphasizing support for Palestinians who reject violence. Members of the European Parliament have urged EU leaders to reopen talks on using Russia's frozen assets to support Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO allies have thwarted a Russian undersea cable sabotage operation, with the European Commission set to announce an additional €6 billion in military aid for Ukraine, including €3.2 billion for US-made Patriot interceptors.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
