President of Latvia responds to Putin's threats to Riga

Latvian President Edgards Rinkēvičs has commented on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's threats against the Baltic country, where he said that if Riga continues "its current policy towards the Russian-speaking population," the authorities will face "a corresponding attitude within the country."

Rinkēvičs said this in an interview with Neatkarīgās.

The head of state called it a policy of intimidation, recalling that Russian propaganda spreads narratives that all their citizens or those who belong to the "Russian world" are subjected to ill-treatment.

"In fact, this is an attempt to hide all the atrocities that Russia is committing in Ukraine. It wasn't even a direct threat - it was an attempt to stir up and call for some anti-government actions of those who still feel like they are part of the "Russian world" and who think they still live in the Russian Empire," Rinkevics said.

According to him, recently he has noticed that there are attempts to divide not only Latvian society, but also Western society in order to undermine support for Ukraine in various ways - in practical, political, and moral terms.

Author - Olena Madiak, 06/12/2023