Latvia must become self-sufficient in ammunition and equipment production - president

RIGA - Latvia should abandon the assumption that allied production capacities will provide it with the necessary ammunition and equipment, President Edgars Rinkevics stressed on Monday, adding that the country should be flexible and self-sufficient.

Opening a discussion at Riga Castle on the role of the defense industry in strengthening Latvia's defense capabilities, Rinkevics welcomed the approved Defense Industry and Innovation Support Strategy 2025-2036, as well as the dialogue between the Defense Ministry and the military industry.

The president noted that the previous discussion with representatives of the government and industry took place in October 2024, but the situation has become more tense since then: the war in Ukraine is ongoing and, given the situation in the Middle East, there is no reason to expect any peace deal or ceasefire agreement for the time being.

Rinkevics called on Latvia to base its preparedness on two assumptions, namely that some form of provocation or military action against NATO or EU member states cannot be ruled out, and that Latvia cannot rely on allies' production capacities alone.

"What we are seeing now, both in NATO discussions and in the harsh realities of life, is that this kind of thinking should be forgotten for the next one, two, three years. We have to be flexible and self-sufficient enough," the president said.

He noted that Latvia must be able to ensure the development of the national and regional armed forces. Rinkevics also stressed that drone and counter-drone technologies are developing rapidly and need to be constantly worked on, as there is no point in producing large amounts of equipment only to realize that warehouses are full of obsolete technologies.

According to the president, in the Latvian context, it is essential to create a flexible system of cooperation and to develop an industrial production capacity that provides for urgent needs. It is also necessary to evaluate bureaucratic procedures and promote cooperation with universities.

Rinkevics added that the forthcoming NATO summit in Ankara, member states will discuss the capacity of the entire Alliance's military industry to meet the growing demand. The president underlined that Latvia is one of the first Alliance members to pass a law stipulating defense spending at 5 percent of gross domestic product from 2027.

The president mentioned that last year's decisions at the NATO Summit in The Hague allow for some flexibility in financing military defense and defense-related expenditure, but in any case, the financing level has been earmarked. The president noted that funding for defense largely depends on economic growth, while it is clear that faster and more flexible action is needed.

Rinkevics added that this is an election year in Latvia and various discussions on a number of topics are going on, but as far as national security and defense are concerned, there are things that cannot and should not be questioned or made dependent on "local politics".