The President of Latvia assessed the risk of an invasion by the Russian Federation, spoke about the delicate situation with local Russians, and evaluated his inclination towards alcohol 0 10

– Do you really believe that today Article 5 would be invoked in the event of a Russian attack on the Baltic countries?

– I am convinced of this. I understand the skepticism, but American soldiers are still deployed in the region. And when Russian drones suddenly appeared in Poland in September 2025, NATO immediately responded and indefinitely strengthened its capabilities across the eastern flank, including here in the Baltic states.

But, of course, we cannot rely solely on other alliance members. The first line of defense is ourselves. The second line is our allies in the region and in Europe. Our defense spending must continue to grow. We must strengthen the armed forces as we did in the 1980s.

– Latvia allocates 5% of its budget to defense. Neutral Switzerland allocates only 0.7%. Is that enough?

– Switzerland is a sovereign state. It can act as it sees fit in its own interests. We are fine with that too.

– Do you have any concrete evidence that Russia is preparing a military attack on the Baltic countries?

– At the moment, we have no signs of an imminent Russian attack. However, last year, the Russian exercises “West” caused some nervousness. And today, the Russians continue to train constantly.

But can Russia even attack us now, when so many of its resources are engaged in Ukraine? That is another question.

– In other words, as soon as the war in Ukraine ends, the risk of a Russian attack on the Baltic countries will increase?

– Not only on the Baltic countries — this risk could affect any European country. Then Russia will face the dilemma of how to utilize its vast army. Not all Russians who are fighting in Ukraine today will want to return to civilian life after the war — to become mechanics, farmers, or prisoners. We take this into account in our defense planning.

– A quarter of Latvia's population are Russian speakers. This is the largest minority in the country. Does this pose a security risk?

– We are constantly monitoring the situation. People in Latvia are regularly recruited through social networks such as Telegram to commit acts of sabotage or espionage.

– What measures are you taking against potential internal threats?

– We have banned some state Russian media. We have one principle: those who break the law will be punished.

But the situation is delicate. In Latvia, there is an endless debate between those who believe that the Russian-speaking audience should be addressed directly in Russian and those who believe it should be done in Latvian. From this academic year, the language of instruction will be exclusively Latvian. We should have implemented this measure 20–30 years ago.

– The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, the former Prime Minister of neighboring Estonia, stated in mid-January that given the global situation, now is the right time to start drinking. Do you follow her advice?

– No. I never know when I might be woken up at night and when I will have to make important decisions. Making decisions under the influence of alcohol would probably not be very effective. I much prefer walking, swimming, or cycling. That is why I definitely want to return here to Davos this summer.