The Latvian president has said an American presence at Russia’s doorstep will send a ‘strong signal’ to Moscow
Latvian President Egils Levits has called for a “permanent presence” of US troops in the Baltics amid Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. He argued that the move would deter Moscow from “aggression beyond Ukraine.” Russia has repeatedly stated it does not plan to attack any other countries, insisting that its actions in Ukraine were aimed at protecting the Russian-speaking population of Donbass.
During an interview with CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ on Sunday, Levits said a permanent US military presence in the region was “absolutely” necessary to combat what he said was Russian “aggression.”
“NATO should strengthen the NATO eastern flank, the Baltics, Poland, Romania, so that this would be a strong signal to Moscow that NATO is ready to defend the member states,” he suggested, adding, “I welcome also the American troops in Poland, in Baltics.”
We need a permanent presence of American troops in this area
Levits accused Russia of harboring “ideas of aggression beyond Ukraine” – something Moscow has denied – and argued that keeping NATO troops permanently in the Baltics would be a “response” to the alleged Russian threat to the region.
During the interview, Levits also claimed Russia’s conflict with Ukraine was “not only aggression against a state,” but also an act of “aggression against the West” and “against the Western values.”
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