The Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) plans to invite the Minister of Defense, member of the Progressive party Andris Sprūds, to today's coalition meeting to clarify the ministry's position regarding the U.S., according to a statement from the party.
The ZZS wants to obtain clarifications regarding Latvia's position in connection with U.S. President Donald Trump's call for allies to participate in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world's oil exports passes and which has been blocked as a result of the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
The ZZS emphasizes that the U.S. is Latvia's main strategic partner and a guarantor of Europe's security, and therefore the country should formulate a clear position on this issue. At the same time, Trump's call did not receive support from the largest European states, after which he criticized Europe and NATO again.
Latvian officials have so far expressed themselves cautiously on this issue. President Edgars Rinkēvičs stated that Latvia had not received official requests for participation in a military operation, but in the event of such a request, it would be promptly and responsibly considered by the government and the Saeima. He emphasized that the decision to send a military contingent is made by parliament.
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa also noted that within NATO, Latvia had not received requests from the U.S. regarding the operation in the Strait of Hormuz, but in the event of a request, the matter would be "very seriously assessed."
As previously reported, the conflict has led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil is transported, causing a sharp rise in prices.
Donald Trump had previously warned of possible negative consequences for NATO if allies did not help unblock the strait. He also expected the participation of the United Kingdom and France in ensuring shipping, but later stated that the U.S. could manage without military assistance from allies.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is not NATO's task and requires a broader international coalition, including Gulf countries, European states, and the U.S.
In turn, a representative of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that the conflict in the Middle East is not related to NATO and is not a war of the alliance.
