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ARCHIVE – Edgars Rinkevics, President of Latvia, speaks at a press conference following a meeting at the Federal Chancellery. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/Archive photo
Keystone
The presidents of Lithuania and Latvia, Gitanas Nauseda and Edgars Rinkevics, have warned of possible Russian provocations on NATO’s eastern flank. Following a meeting in Vilnius, the heads of state of the two Baltic EU and NATO member states reported on intelligence indicating Russian plans for sabotage attempts and hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure. They did not specify when, where, or against whom such attacks might take place.
“We must be extremely well prepared for the phase of the war in Ukraine in which Russia is no longer achieving victories and can no longer advance on the battlefield,” Rinkevics said. Russia could then move on to indirectly testing NATO’s Article 5 and the response mechanisms at the level of the Western defense alliance and the EU. “We must be ready to respond to new threats.”
Nauseda said that while Russia is not currently capable of carrying out a large-scale military strike against NATO countries, However, it might be able to prepare smaller, limited operations that could cause significant damage to critical infrastructure. Based on intelligence reports, Lithuania has recently stepped up security measures at key transportation and energy facilities as a precaution, Nauseda said.
Lithuania and Latvia both border Russia and its ally, Belarus. The two Baltic states view Russia's war of aggression as a direct threat to their national security.
15.07.2026, 17:58
