NATO has the opportunity to offer Ukraine greater support - Kols

RIGA - The NATO alliance in general still has opportunities to provide greater military support to Ukraine, including with weapon systems, the Chairman of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Rihards Kols (National Alliance) told LETA.

It is necessary to actively work with the allies, convincing them that there should be no delay in arms deliveries and other types of military support to Ukraine, the politician said. According to him, there are a number of allies who make loud announcements about planned support for the country, but their implementation is delayed or not implemented at all. Some NATO countries tend to justify their inaction by saying that providing support to Ukraine can contribute to the escalation of the situation, however, as Kols expressed, "we are long over this discussion - to escalate or not to escalate".

Asked whether, taking into account President Egils Levits' call to double global support for Ukraine, he sees opportunities to double Latvia's support as well, Kols noted that this is a call for the entire alliance as a whole. Kols pointed out that since the beginning of the war, Latvia has been one of the leading countries in the amount of support provided within its capacity.

The MP believes that Latvia is doing everything necessary to militarily support Ukraine. The defense sector is regularly reviewed for additional military equipment support options, especially as winter approaches.

The country is also trying to help with weapon systems, said Kols, while expressing that the support to Ukraine should be balanced so that Latvia's defense capabilities do not deteriorate under the current conditions.