A Small Nation’s Big Worries About Russia
Latvia is a tiny country next to Russia. But its leaders are very concerned about being invaded. Here are the key points:
- Latvia is part of NATO, a group of countries that defend each other
- Latvia has NATO troops stationed there to protect against Russia
- Latvia’s president wants to build a “drone wall” along the Russian border
- He fears Russia may push migrants or military troops toward Latvia
Does Russia have plans to attack this small nation? Could NATO get dragged into a bigger war? Read on to learn more.
What Is The “Drone Wall” Plan?
Latvia’s president recently visited the UK. He explained his idea for guarding against Russia.
Latvia and nearby countries want a defensive “drone wall” at their borders with Russia and Belarus. Drones would fly in the sky, monitoring for any threats approaching on the ground.
The drones could:
- Watch for migrants being “weaponized” and pushed across borders
- Look for military troops or equipment moving too close
- Potentially be armed to combat threats directly
It’s an early proposal, but leaders in the region support working together on a unified drone defence system.
Adding More Military Defenses, Too
Beyond the drone wall concept, Latvia is looking at building up military infrastructure right along its Russian border. This would help:
- Detect incoming threats faster
- Allow quicker response to defend territory
The Latvian president stated that his country must prepare for any scenario, even a potential conflict with Russia in the future. He advised citizens to reinforce home basements to serve as bomb shelters if needed.
How NATO Could Get Involved
As a NATO member, an attack on Latvia would be considered an attack on all allied countries. This could quickly explode into a much wider war.
There are around 3,000 NATO troops currently stationed in Latvia. More are being sent to neighboring Estonia as well. If Russian forces invaded, they would face resistance from soldiers representing multiple NATO nations.
One UK official even suggested Ukraine should be allowed to strike targets inside Russia with Western-supplied weapons. This would further increase tensions.
However, most leaders want to avoid provoking Russia too far and escalating the crisis. The drone wall itself could potentially be viewed as a threat by Moscow depending on its capabilities.
A Remarkable Rise for Latvia?
For a small nation of just 1.9 million people, Latvia is gaining significant international attention amid the Ukraine conflict and wider tensions with Russia.
The Latvian president met with King Charles during his UK visit. He advocated for NATO countries to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, which will be discussed at an upcoming summit.
While relatively tiny, Latvia’s geographic position next to Russia makes it an important player in the broader Russia-Ukraine conflict and efforts to deter further aggression.
No Easy Answers
Though Latvia hopes its drone defence plan could prevent a Russian invasion, the situation remains precarious. Any military strike against a NATO member could prompt a collective response and rapidly spiral out of control into a larger European war.
Does NATO risk provoke an overly aggressive response from Russia by boosting defences in Latvia and arming Ukraine? Or is deterrence through strength the only way to stop Putin’s ambitions? There are no easy answers, but for now, tensions on Europe’s eastern borders only continue rising.
Screenshot taken from theconversation.com
