Krišjānis Kariņš, a former Latvian Prime Minister has said that NATO needs to prepare now for a long-term strategy over Moscow’s threat of “imperialistic-fuelled ideology.”
Latvia’s Foreign Minister has warned that NATO has to be ready for Vladimir Putin to order incursions should Vladimir Putin win the war in Ukraine, which is looking more and more likely.
Speaking to the Financial Times Kariņš warned that “Russia will not stop, Russia can only be stopped.”
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He added, “Stopping Russia in Ukraine does not mean that it is over.
“It simply means we will have to continue. That is what is important for NATO: that we will have to work on a long-term strategy of Russia containment.”
The Baltic states and Finland have escalated their warnings that Putin will not limit his attacks just to Ukraine, which comes as Russia officials are regularly criticising them.
Kariņš said that NATO must increase their “interoperability” and ensure that weapon systems are all standard between the allies, including more sharing of ammunition and artillery.
He added, “Once the war ends, the war machine will start to rebuild itself. It will be looking to provoke, to make difficulties on its border. We know this.
“We have to make sure on the NATO side that the likelihood of any incidents is simply ruled out, by our resolve, by our investments in defence.”
He continued, “Russia is trying to instill a doubt among us . . . But Putin has managed to reinvigorate NATO.
“We have managed to converge on all issues to date regarding Ukraine.”
Kariņš said that NATO membership is vital for Ukraine, should they win the war against Putin.
He added, “Russia is not only a problem in Ukraine for Ukraine, it poses a danger for all of Europe, even after the Ukrainian war.
“If Ukraine regains its territory, Russia will still be a threat. That means we need to adjust our thinking to the long term.”
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