The penetration of unmanned aerial vehicles into Latvia's airspace on Thursday is not the first such case in the country and is a direct consequence of Russian aggression, said Member of the European Parliament Sandra Kalniete, opening a discussion in Riga titled "The Future of European Security: A View from the Eastern Flank."
The MEP claims that both Russian and Ukrainian drones have previously entered Latvia's airspace. In her opinion, such incidents will continue.
Kalniete explained that some of them are created intentionally — to test the reactions of European Union member states and instill fear among the population, while other cases are the result of unfortunate circumstances, including due to electronic warfare measures.
Kalniete also reported that she asked NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte what he intends to do to protect the Baltic states from Russian aggression. According to her, Rutte began to talk about the need to constantly send a signal to Moscow – in the event of an attack, not only the Latvian armed forces would fight, but the entire alliance.
The MEP stated that there are no "second-class citizens or states" in NATO and the EU. In her opinion, it is important to realize that collective defense is indeed a shared responsibility, and all member states are bound by mutual obligations.
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