Ukrainians are fighting for us all - MEP Ijabs

RIGA - Ukrainians are fighting for us all, European Parliament member Ivars Ijabs (Development/For) said in an interview with with TV3 channel, commenting Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

There is no point in speculating what might happen if Russia invades Ukraine, because Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea already a long time ago, Ijabs said. 

"The possibility of war is unfortunately real. Because it is clear that unlike in 2014, Ukrainians will fight. And they will fight with our strong support. I believe that it is NATO's moral obligation to support them," the MEP said. 

So one can image what consequences this might entail, Ijabs said. "It is scary to think about, but there is a reason to hope that things will not go so far. Although, mildly speaking, the Russian side has been taking a rather destructive approach in recent weeks," Ijabs said. 

The MEP also urged Latvia to pay attention to hybrid threats, including hybrid attacks targeting Latvia. There is also a question about Latvia's readiness for such crises in the future.

"Because it is clear that hybrid attacks, the same story of energy supplies now, in the middle of winter, is a quite pressing issue also for Latvia. In that respect, the Ukrainians are fighting not just for themselves but for us all," the MEP said.

Russia has reportedly amassed more than 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that the United States had reason to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made the decision to invade Ukraine.

The situation in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated significantly over the weekend, with Russian-backed militants launching new attacks against Ukraine.