US discusses NATO's future with Baltic states also in other formats - Kulbergs

RIGA - The US also discusses issues regarding NATO’s future with the Baltic states in other formats, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (United List) noted at a press conference on Thursday, responding to a question about why Latvia was not invited to a NATO meeting in Poland.

Kulbergs explained that the US is Latvia’s ally, and discussions on how Europe can assume greater responsibility for NATO’s conventional capabilities are taking place in various formats.

"What has been publicly discussed is just one of them; the US also discusses these issues with the Baltic states in other formats," Kulbergs said.

He noted that Latvia’s position remains unchanged - NATO is a single alliance, so all allies must be informed of the results of the discussions, just as they have been until now.

The Delfi news portal reported that Lithuania, along with the other Baltic states, has not been invited to a meeting intended to discuss NATO’s future.

On Thursday, Politico reported that the Pentagon had invited neither the Baltic states nor the United Kingdom and France to the meeting scheduled to take place in Poland.

According to six diplomats familiar with the preparations for the meeting, the gathering in Poland, organized by US Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby, will essentially serve as a working group to discuss NATO’s future.