New Unity proposes complete termination of economic ties with Russia by year-end

RIGA - The board of New Unity has decided that, given the new situation that has arisen because of the European Union's (EU) inability to adopt a new sanctions package against Russia, as it has been vetoed by some member states, Latvia needs to take national measures and terminate economic ties with Russia completely, the party informed LETA.

Latvian businesses should stop imports from and exports to Russia by the end of 2026, New Unity said.

Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) will give the Ministries of Economics, Transport, Agriculture, and Foreign Affairs until the end of March to develop a detailed analysis and plan for ending public transport service with Russia and to impose a ban on Russian goods in Latvia's retail trade.

The Transport Ministry will be tasked with preparing a detailed analysis of the transportation of rail freight to Russia and a solution for its termination.

The ministries are expected to come up with concrete proposals and draft amendments to legislative acts, New Unity said.

As reported, a week ago the Progressives party called on the Economics Ministry to develop a plan for ending trade with aggressor countries Russia and Belarus.

The party cited earlier media reports that Latvia's exports to Russia have not fallen significantly in the four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine - especially compared to Estonia, where the drop is six times higher, according to both countries' statistics offices.

"Although there have been frequent accusations in the public sphere on this issue, namely, that European countries are being two-faced, helping Ukraine with one hand and pouring money into the economies of the aggressor countries with the other, the work done by the Economics Ministry so far has not been sufficiently targeted," Progressives believe.

In the party's view, this problem calls for more proactive action.