People must not give in to stress caused by Russia - Levits

RIGA - People in Latvia must not give in to stress caused by Russia, President Egils Levits said in an interview with Delfi portal.

Russia's tactics, among other things, try to cause stress in Western countries, but we must not fall for it and Latvia must stay calm and continue to support Ukraine on all possible levels.

Latvia is doing a lot to support Ukraine. The government is doing its utmost to politically support Ukraine, and air defense weapons are also being shipped to Ukraine, but the biggest contribution is being made by the people, both through donations and relief shipments, said Levits.

Speaking about Latvia's security, Levits emphasized that NATO had decided to further strengthen its presence on the alliance's eastern flank. The NATO battlegroup has been stationed in Latvia for several years now, and U.S. troops have been deployed to Latvia in recent weeks.

Levits would like to have a permanent NATO base in Latvia, and this issue was discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week.