Melnis: Russian nuclear threats are not a direct threat to Latvia

Assessment of Moscow's nuclear rhetoric

Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Vējonis told RFE/RL that recent Russian statements regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons should not be perceived as a sign of a direct threat. The official Riga supports the position of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who previously stated that he does not consider Russian warnings to be exceptionally serious.

“Наразі я не бачу безпосередньої загрози” (At present, I do not see a direct threat), the Latvian minister emphasised.

The goal of pressuring Western countries

According to Vējonis, since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has repeatedly resorted to nuclear threats. He claims that such rhetoric is a tool of psychological pressure: Moscow is trying to frighten the population of Western states, reduce the level of support for Kyiv, and test the resilience of unity within the North Atlantic Alliance.

“Росія використовуватиме будь-які засоби, щоб погрожувати нам, вселяти страх у наш народ, підривати підтримку України, а також руйнувати нашу єдність і згуртованість, просто перевіряючи, де пролягають ці межі” (Russia will use any means to threaten us, instil fear in our people, undermine support for Ukraine, and also destroy our unity and cohesion, simply testing where these boundaries lie), he explained.

Hybrid actions as the main challenge

Vējonis stressed that at the current stage, the greatest danger is not nuclear weapons or the large-scale use of Russian conventional forces against NATO countries, but the intensification of hybrid actions. This category includes hostile measures that do not turn a conflict into open war, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, and manipulation of migration flows.

The minister added that Latvia and its allies constantly review the level of threats. To do this, they track Russia's military potential, analyse its losses on Ukrainian territory, monitor the state of its armed forces, as well as possible attacks on military-industrial complex facilities and critical infrastructure.

“Ми ведемо спостереження та тісно співпрацюємо з українськими партнерами та нашими партнерами по НАТО” (We are monitoring and closely cooperating with Ukrainian partners and our NATO partners), Vējonis noted, adding that the threat assessment process in Latvia is continuous, and the scale of hybrid activity is growing.