Russia's war in Ukraine is a harsh lesson for Europe and Western allies - Karins

RIGA - Russia's war in Ukraine is a harsh lesson for the whole of Europe and Western allies, so everything must be done for Ukraine to win the war and destroy Russia's imperialist expansionist ambitions, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) emphasized at the global security forum Globsec on Thursday.

He said that the Russian state has imperialist ambitions and a desire to subjugate its neighbors, and thus it is currently targeting Ukraine.

"However, in invading Ukraine, it has faced extremely strong Ukrainian resistance. It is our responsibility to help Ukraine win this war - if it does not win and if Russia does not lose this war, there will be no peace and security in Europe. It is impossible to build friendly relations with a country that has ambitions for imperialist expansion - this is a lesson for the whole of Europe," Karins emphasized at the forum.

The Prime Minister said that Europe and Western Allies must provide all possible assistance to Ukraine to win the war. The politician pointed out that this should also be done at the political level, with the European Union (EU) supporting Ukraine's application for candidate status.

According to the Prime Minister, at the same time, Europe and the Allies must also strengthen their own defense capabilities. The forthcoming NATO summit in Madrid in June is important, as here it will be decided to move towards a new type of NATO defense strategy, with a view to strengthening deterrence policies and increasing the military presence in the eastern flank, including the Baltic States and Latvia.

EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and representatives of the Ukrainian government took part in the forum, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, albeit remotely.

During his working visit to Bratislava, Karins also met with the Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger. During the meeting, the parties discussed the security situation in the region, support for Ukraine, the need to strengthen NATO's eastern flank and Europe's energy independence.

The Prime Minister thanked the Prime Minister of Slovakia for his country's contribution to strengthening Latvia's defense capabilities by sending soldiers to the NATO Expanded Battlegroup in Latvia.