Majority of Latvians support strengthening EU's defense capabilities - survey

RIGA - A majority of people in Latvia support strengthening the European Union's (EU) defense capabilities so that the bloc can defend itself independently if necessary, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

Of those surveyed in Latvia, 32 percent fully agree with this position, while another 39 percent tend to agree. Twenty-three percent tend to disagree or strongly disagree with the need to strengthen European defense, while 6 percent did not express an opinion.

At the same time, 54 percent of the surveyed Latvians believe that national security is currently under threat. Nineteen percent of respondents fully agree with this statement, while another 35 percent tend to agree. The opposite view was expressed by 38 percent of respondents, while 8 percent had no opinion.

The survey found that 56 percent of Latvia's residents trust the EU's ability to strengthen security and defense. Of these, 9 percent firmly trust the EU, while 47 percent tend to trust it. Meanwhile, 40 percent of respondents indicated that they do not trust the EU on this issue, and 4 percent had no opinion.

Compared to the EU average, in Latvia there is slightly greater support for strengthening the EU's defense capabilities. Across the EU, 68 percent of respondents support this, while 56 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the EU's ability to strengthen security, the same figure as in Latvia.

The survey, conducted from June 19 to 26, included 1,010 Latvian residents.