Latvia’s Defense Minister: Europe’s 2 million soldiers can help Ukraine

Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said this during a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, according to Radio Liberty.

He noted that discussions are currently underway about the potential participation of various countries in so-called reassurance forces, which could be part of a future peace agreement or ceasefire in Ukraine.

"There are countries that are also discussing, considering at the national level, what they can do. Of course, involvement is extremely important. We must remember that in Europe, there are about 2 million soldiers, meaning 2 million in uniform. So, in reality, we can do a lot. The other question is how effective we are, how capable we are of forming mobile forces. And again, this is a broader context. What is a peace agreement or the framework for a ceasefire? So, there are several parts of the puzzle that we need to put together," Sprūds said.

At the same time, Latvia is ready to contribute but not at the cost of its own security, especially given its location on the eastern flank of Europe near the border with the aggressor country.

"When providing military personnel or representatives or contributing to the ‘peacekeeping forces’ in Ukraine, we must not weaken our own defense while being on the border with the aggressor country. And we take this very seriously," he said.

• EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, believes that the future international mission in Ukraine could take different forms – from monitoring to deterrence.