Trump acknowledges NATO's financial fairness: Understands NATO is not exploitative.
Chatting with Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Brazže Amidst NATO-Russia Tensions
In a candid conversation with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Latvia'sForeign Minister, Baiba Brazže, shed light on her country's stance towards NATO and its response to the escalating tensions with Russia.
During the discussion, Brazže made it clear that all NATO nations are at risk from Russian sub-conventional attacks, ranging from cyber warfare, sabotage, and assassinations. She highlighted the Skripal attack in the UK as an example of these tactics. She also emphasized the importance of strong intelligence cooperation between military and civilian intelligence, and maintaining situational awareness of Russia's activities.
When asked about President Trump's approach to NATO, Russia, and Ukraine, Brazže expressed support for Trump's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. However, she noted that there's been no indication that Putin is willing to stop the aggression, and that NATO needs to apply pressure to push Russia towards peace.
Brazže was optimistic in her assessment, stating that Ukraine, with its 40 million population, was resisting open aggression against a 140 million nuclear state, and had not yet achieved any of its strategic objectives. She praised Ukraine's heroic resistance and the rapid advancements in its military capabilities, such as drone attacks.
In the context of the ongoing NATO summit, discussions focused on strengthening Ukraine's air defense, considering the sale of Patriot missile systems and joint production of drones and electronic warfare equipment. European partners also pledged military aid and financial support for Ukraine's drone production. However, the summit did not result in new substantive actions against Russian aggression, according to some analyses.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed NATO's rearmament efforts as ineffective and accused the West of exploiting the Russian threat narrative for economic gains. He placed the blame on Western actions for the Ukraine crisis.
Brazže, as Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, views NATO's robust defense posture and support for Ukraine as essential for the security of the Baltic region, given Russia's increased military activity near NATO borders and its attempts to manipulate regional narratives similar to its Ukraine invasion playbook.
Technology plays a crucial role in NATO's strategy against war-and-conflicts with Russia, as evidenced by the discussions on strengthening Ukraine's air defense and the joint production of drones and electronic warfare equipment at the recent NATO summit. Additionally, policy-and-legislation and politics are central to the ongoing tensions, with leaders like Baiba Brazže advocating for strong intelligence cooperation and a robust defense posture to maintain peace and counter Russian aggression. General news outlets cover these issues extensively, providing the public with updates on NATO's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as other global events.
