On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members met in Riga, Latvia amid heightened tensions between the Alliance and Russia over Moscow’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border.
A statement released by the Latvian Foreign Ministry earlier this month stated that the meeting will place a “renewed emphasis on collective defence” and focus on measures to counter “Russia’s military annexation of Crimea and its aggression in eastern Ukraine.” The ministry said that the ministers would focus on combating emerging threats encountered by NATO, including cyberattacks, hybrid threats, interference in election processes, and disinformation campaigns as well. Members also discussed measures to put an end to the migrant crisis along the Belarus-Poland.
The following is a brief summary of the meeting:
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the situation in Ukraine “remains fluid and unpredictable” and that there “is no certainty about Russia’s intentions.” Stoltenberg noted that apart from a “significant and unusual concentration” of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, Moscow is also resorting “heightened rhetoric and disinformation” to inflame tensions in the region.
Last month, Ukraine reported an escalation of combat activity across the border with Russia, observing nine ceasefire violations by Russian troops, with two of them involving weapons banned by the Minsk agreements. According to reports, both Moscow and Kyiv staged naval drills in the Black Sea. NATO has condemned Moscow for its increased aggression and has indicated that tensions might boil over into a full-scale war if Russia invades Ukraine. Russia, however, has rejected such claims and has justified its growing presence at the border by pointing to increased NATO activity in the region.
Against this backdrop, Stoltenberg warned Russia that aggression against Ukraine would “come at a high price” and have “serious political and economic consequences for Russia.” In this regard, he called on Moscow to be “transparent, de-escalate and reduce tensions.”
“We stand united in our aim to deter Russia from any further aggressive actions,” he said, adding that “there must be no misunderstanding or miscalculation on NATO’s resolve.”
Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in & around #Ukraine. We stand united in our aim to deter Russia from any further aggressive action. We also addressed #Belarus, arms control & #NATO's next strategic concept. #ForMin pic.twitter.com/zotcF2S84r
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) November 30, 2021
Moving on to the migrant crisis along the Belarus-Poland border, Stoltenberg accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of using “vulnerable people to put pressure on Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.” He noted that NATO is cooperating with the European Union (EU) to counter Belarus’ “hybrid campaign,” which the Alliance called “cynical and inhumane.” Stoltenberg said that NATO stands in “full solidarity” with its allies affected by Belarus’ measures.
The EU and the United States (US) have accused Belarus of intentionally orchestrating the unprecedented migrant crisis to retaliate against the sanctions imposed by the bloc over human rights abuses and electoral fraud.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
During his trip to Latvia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Latvian President Egils Levits, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Stoltenberg.
In his meeting with FM Kariņš, Blinken noted that the US is ready to support Latvia and its neighbouring allies against any Russian aggression and said that Washington has already provided Riga with “more than $400 million” in security assistance. “Additionally, NATO has deployed four multinational battle groups to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland to bolster deterrence in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014,” he added.
Blinked stressed the importance of the Latvia-US security cooperation in the face of ongoing Russian actions in Ukraine, including its “belligerent rhetoric, its recent buildup of forces, [and] its unusual troop movements along Ukraine’s border.”
He also said that Latvia is an “indispensable” partner “in addressing the challenges posed by Belarus.” Blinken emphasised that the US will continue to work with Latvia to hold the “Lukashenko regime accountable for its violent repression of the Belarusian people” and provide support to journalists, activists, and civil society members that have been targeted by the regime.
During his separate meeting with the President and PM of Latvia, Blinken once again affirmed the US’ commitment to Latvia’s security.
Blinken also discussed Russia and Belarus with Stoltenberg and underscored Washington’s “steadfast commitment” to NATO.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss
Ahead of the meeting with her NATO counterparts, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Tuesday condemned Russia’s aggression along the Ukraine border and warned that Moscow would be making a “strategic mistake” if it invaded Ukraine. We will stand with our fellow democracies against Russia’s malign activity. We will support Ukraine and stability in the Western Balkans,” she added.
A statement by the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign Office, said that Truss “will underline the UK’s ongoing commitment” to NATO’s role and she will focus on ways to combat the “continued destabilising actions by Russia and Belarus.” The statement added that Truss will underline the UK’s support to allies affected by Belarus and Russia’s aggression and “will use all diplomatic and economic levers at our disposal to avoid that outcome.”
The meeting also focussed on the threat posed by China and the “emerging and disruptive technologies are fundamentally changing the nature of the conflict.” All foreign ministers agreed to undertake renewed efforts to “strengthen arms control” and in this respect will work towards a new “strategic concept” that will be adopted at the Madrid Summit next year.