Common Questions

Why does Russia's deployment bill affect Latvia?: Latvia hosts exiled Russian journalists (including Novaya Gazeta Europe) and has a 23% ethnic Russian minority. Russia's extraterritorial deployment bill frames military deployments abroad as protecting Russian citizens from foreign prosecution, which Baltic governments read as a threat to their territory.Source: Lowdown
Is Latvia safe from Russian military threat?: Latvia is a NATO member with Article 5 protection and hosts NATO EFP battlegroups. However, its 214 km border with Russia, large Russian minority, and proximity to Kaliningrad make it one of NATO's most exposed members.
Why is Latvia considered one of NATO's most exposed members?: Latvia shares a 214 km land border with Russia and a further border with Belarus, placing it on NATO's eastern flank. Its Russian-speaking minority (roughly 25% of the population) and the presence of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup at Ādaži make it a focal point of Alliance deterrence planning.Source: NATO
Has Latvia joined the euro and when did it join the EU?: Latvia joined the EU in May 2004 and adopted the euro in January 2014. It also became a NATO member in March 2004.Source: European Union
What is Latvia's position on the Russia-Ukraine war?: Latvia is among the most vocal European advocates for continued military support to Ukraine, consistently backing new EU sanctions packages, hosting displaced Ukrainians, and pushing for Russian asset seizure to fund reconstruction.Source: Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
How dependent is Latvia on Russian energy?: Latvia has eliminated direct Russian gas and electricity imports since 2022, synchronising its grid with the European Continental Network in February 2025 and sourcing gas via LNG terminals and Baltic pipeline interconnectors.Source: Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan
Where is Latvia located and what countries border it?: Latvia is a Baltic state in north-eastern Europe, bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus to the south-east, and the Baltic Sea to the west.Source: Official

Background

Latvia is a Baltic state and member of both NATO (since 2004) and the EU (since 2004), with a population of approximately 1.8 million. It shares a 214 km border with Russia and a further border with Belarus, making it one of NATO's most exposed front-line members. Latvia has been among the most vocal advocates of maximum Western support for Ukraine and has consistently pushed for harder EU sanctions on Russia. In April 2026, Russia's Duma extraterritorial deployment bill — passed 413-0 — was assessed by Baltic governments as potentially targeting them given their hosting of exiled Russian journalists and political figures; Latvia hosts Novaya Gazeta Europe, Russia's leading exile investigative outlet.

Latvia has a significant ethnic Russian minority, approximately 23% of the population, concentrated in Riga and the eastern Latgale region. Russia has historically used minority-protection rhetoric as a justification for pressure on Baltic states. The Duma bill's framing around protecting Russian citizens from "foreign courts" maps directly onto that rhetorical tradition. Latvia's government has responded by accelerating border fortifications and pressing NATO for permanent forward-deployed troops rather than rotational presence.

Latvia contributes to the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) battlegroup framework and has committed to exceeding 3% of GDP on defence by 2027.

How the World Sees Them

NATO

Latvia is a valued front-line ally; NATO's EFP presence is designed to deter Russian probing operations that exploited the gap between trip-wire deployments and Article 5 obligations.

Russia

Moscow frames Baltic states as anti-Russian; Latvia's hosting of exile media and sanctions support makes it a named adversary in Russian state media.