Russia will threaten Europe even after Putin's rule, says Latvian Foreign Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš (Getty Images)
Head of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Krišjānis Kariņš, believes that even after the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin exits the political stage, Russia's imperial ambitions, currently manifesting destructively in Ukraine, will continue to threaten Europe, according to The Telegraph.
According to him, Europe will have to deal with a dangerous Russia for a long time, and Russia's imperial ambitions will outlive Putin.
He notes that from NATO's perspective, Europe will have to deal with a problematic and dangerous Russia for a long time.
"Even after the end of this war - and all wars end eventually - we will still have a problem in Russia which will not be related directly to the rule of Putin," Kariņš said.
According to the minister, the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in prison last month and the sham presidential elections in Russia over the weekend only underline this harsh reality.
"We see no indications that there’s any movement within Russia which would produce a leader espousing enlightenment, liberal ideas. This is not in the foreseeable future at all," said the Foreign Minister.
Kariņš adds that the constant threat from the East requires NATO to pursue a robust and transparent containment policy.
"There is no notion that the Baltics could be next", he says. But "if Russia were to invade a Baltic country, Russia would be invading NATO."
We reported that Latvia planned to deport several hundred Russians.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and Latvia have started negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on security commitments for Ukraine.
