Latvian lawmakers back nuclear deployment if NATO agrees

Latvian lawmakers say they would support deploying nuclear weapons in the country if NATO collectively decided it was necessary, LSM reports. President Edgars Rinkēvičs said no specific talks are currently under way.

Rinkēvičs said Latvian law does not prevent the deployment of nuclear weapons. He said that, if needed, Latvia would be prepared to join a collective NATO decision and cooperate with individual allies.

Latvia has already committed to participating in NATO’s collective security mechanisms, including nuclear deterrence, as part of its preparations to join the alliance, the president said. He described nuclear weapons as a last resort intended to deter an aggressor from attacking.

Rinkēvičs also welcomed additional security measures, commenting on a British offer of nuclear protection for members of the Joint Expeditionary Force, which includes Latvia. He noted that Britain already contributes to NATO’s nuclear deterrence.

Ainars Latkovskis, chair of the Saeima’s National Security Commission and a member of New Unity, said Latvia is already protected by NATO’s nuclear deterrent, in which the United States has the largest capabilities. Britain and France also have nuclear weapons, he said. Their initiatives would strengthen existing protection rather than address a gap, and deployment in Latvia should be a joint decision by allies, not a decision made by Latvia alone.

Latkovskis said Russia chooses to attack where it expects to achieve gains easily and considers potential benefits.

Lithuania’s constitution prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on its territory. The Lithuanian parliament supported lifting the ban in an initial vote.