Latvia may deploy nuclear weapons: President names condition

According to him, Latvian legislation does not contain a direct ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons. He noted that even during the country’s preparations for NATO accession in 2003, Riga confirmed its readiness to participate in all of the Alliance’s collective defense mechanisms, including the nuclear deterrent system.

“If such a need arises and NATO makes such a collective decision, nuclear weapons will be deployed in Latvia,” Rinkēvičs said.

At the same time, the president emphasized that currently the issue of directly deploying a nuclear arsenal in Latvia is not being discussed in the negotiations.

Rinkėvičs’ statement came amid discussions about strengthening nuclear deterrence in Northern Europe and the Baltics. The UK has proposed extending additional nuclear safeguards to the countries of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). This format includes the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

The Latvian President stressed that nuclear deterrence remains an important component of European security. He called nuclear weapons a last resort, while noting that their presence could deter a potential aggressor from a large-scale war.

NATO’s nuclear policy decisions and consultations are coordinated by the Nuclear Planning Group, which includes all Allies except France and takes decisions by consensus.

Meanwhile, similar discussions are ongoing in other Baltic countries. In Lithuania, on September 22, the Seimas supported in the first reading a constitutional amendment that would repeal the ban on the deployment of weapons of mass destruction.

Estonia, for its part, is in talks with France about possible participation in the Paris initiative to strengthen nuclear deterrence in Europe. The format of potential cooperation between the countries has not yet been determined.