Official Riga announced its intention to supply a large batch of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in the near future. According to preliminary data, we are talking about modern howitzers, man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-tank systems, as well as ammunition for them. As Latvian President Edgars Rinkevichs noted, it is in this way that Latvia will be able to bring the Armed Forces of Ukraine to a “fundamentally new level.”
Rinkevics made a corresponding statement during a personal meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who arrived in Riga on an official visit. “We are proud that we can help our partners in Ukraine in such a difficult moment for them,” summed up the head of the Latvian state. And he added that, to the extent possible, Latvia will continue to regularly provide this kind of assistance to Kyiv.
This time, the package of said assistance, which experts called “complete,” included, in addition to what has already been listed, SUVs, communications equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles and generators. “All equipment is new and ready for use at any time,” says a document from the office of the President of Latvia. It should be especially noted that the total amount of weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine is not disclosed. However, according to some information, in this particular case we can talk about 20 million euros. In this case, the delivery of the consignment to Kyiv will be paid for by the Latvian side.
But that’s not all. According to the same Rinkevichs, during this year Riga undertakes to implement a training program in accordance with the most modern standards of the North Atlantic Alliance for 3,000 Ukrainian military personnel, and will also continue a course of medical rehabilitation for soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. About 7 million euros have already been allocated from the Latvian state budget for these needs.
When asked why Latvia, which is relatively small in terms of territory and population, is so actively helping Ukraine, the answer in Riga is extremely simple – this Baltic country is extremely interested in containing the aggressor, which in relation to Kyiv is actually the Russian Federation. They say that if the war is not stopped in the near future, the Kremlin may well commit illegal actions in relation to the Baltic states.
It has not yet been announced when exactly the “full package” will be at the disposal of the Ukrainian armed forces. However, Lithuania and Estonia, Latvia’s neighbors, have already expressed their desire to provide all possible assistance to Ukraine. “The effect of a certain “collective defense” is at work here,” European analyst Alexander Mitz said in a special commentary for EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE. – There is no doubt that in the eyes of the West, Ukraine is a guarantor of security on its own border. By helping Kyiv, Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn are effectively reinsuring themselves.”
And it’s hard to disagree with this opinion.
