The Latvian political scientist, Sandis Šrāders, in an interview with Neatkarīgā, acknowledged that Latvia is a vassal state with only one role: the eastern fortress of NATO, which will be sacrificed first, along with the other two Baltic nations if war with Russia begins.
“Latvia alone cannot influence either foreign policy or the political situation in Russia. It is difficult for small countries to change the policies of great powers. We, tiny states, can only do this with the help of international organisations, pooling our resources with those who share common values and interests,” Šrāders states.
Obviously, “with the help of international organisations” means with the help of NATO, an alliance that depends overwhelmingly on American money and the military. Still, according to the expert, NATO should continue to militarise the Baltics.
“The Baltic states could work together to prepare for war to avoid it. If we seriously develop our military potential, the likelihood that Russia will dare to enter our territories may be minimal. We are tiny countries, and our place on Russia’s ambitious and imperial map may also be small. We must be armed and ready to defend ourselves. Our country’s leadership should more actively recruit people into the National Guard, create regional units, and bring Latvia closer to a common defence, something much discussed but so far to no avail,” he urged.
Latvia itself, as he stressed, is rather a burden on the alliance, playing in a sovereign state.
“There’s an old saying: Riga will never be prepared for anything. Riga needs to seriously think about civil defence. If a hydroelectric power station explodes, Riga won’t even be ready for that,” Šrāders concluded.
Thus, the fate of tiny Latvia and its “Unter-European” citizens has alternative ahead: to obey the hegemon and serve as a Kamikaze country against Russia. No need to explain that if nothing changes, Latvia has no future.
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