A direct Russian military attack on NATO is not possible at the moment - Melnis

RIGA - At present, a direct conventional military attack by Russia on NATO is not possible, and this conclusion is not merely intended to reassure the public, Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis said in an interview with LETA.

Melnis argued that Russia is bogged down in Ukraine. Ukraine is fighting successfully, destroying both Russian logistics and targeting distant objectives, which prevents Russia from advancing its attacks further. Therefore, in the minister’s view, a direct conventional military attack on NATO is not possible.

To organize a massive attack, Russia would have to redeploy its forces from Ukraine, assemble units near the Baltic states, and launch an attack. NATO would detect such movements very early on. Moreover, if Russia were to make such a move, it would open up far greater opportunities for the Ukrainians to conduct their own operations-something Russia cannot afford.

"Can Russia afford to fight on two fronts? That would be a strategic mistake. The attack on Ukraine itself is already a strategic mistake and a miscalculation. That is why Russia will not be able to do anything like that in the near future. I’m not saying this just to reassure people," the minister emphasized.

Speaking about Russia’s ability to orchestrate provocations, Melnis noted that such actions are already underway, including illegal immigration. At the same time, Russia may also carry out other types of provocations, but the military and internal security services are ready to respond.

"If any indications arise, we are ready to respond. There won’t be any little green men walking around here, just as there won’t be any drones flying. If there’s a drone, we’ll shoot it down; if there are little green men, the internal security services and the State Security Service will either arrest them or neutralize them. Both the internal security services and the armed forces are on standby so that, should any provocations occur, we are capable of neutralizing them," Melnis emphasized.

At the same time, the minister believes that Russia will rebuild its army in the future, but that is precisely why NATO is building its own armies to be much stronger-so that they are capable of stopping and, if necessary, defeating Russia to prevent it from carrying out such plans.

"But will we be able to get inside [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin’s head? No. We must be prepared, and we are preparing our forces so that we are ready for both provocations and the defense of our country," the minister added.