On January 13, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže made a report to the government of the country, in which she called for new sanctions against Russia.
“There are no indications of Russia’s willingness to pursue peace; therefore, we will continue to apply maximum pressure on Russia in order to achieve “peace through strength”, in particular by means of sanctions,” said Baiba Braže.
According to her, Latvia is not under direct threat of a military attack, but the country must continue to strengthen security, the presence of NATO-allied soldiers and deter Russia.
“The sanctions are effective and are adversely affecting the Russian economy. For example, at the end of 2025, inflation remained at around 6% and the federal budget deficit exceeded USD 53 billion. Oil and gas revenues fell by more than 30% last year. Russia has lost at least USD 159 billion in oil export revenues. The effective application of sanctions is also a matter of security, and Latvia serves as an example to other EU Member States in the effective implementation of sanctions. Latvia is one of the few EU countries that has submitted proposals for each round of EU sanctions. Last year, sanctions were imposed on 485 shadow fleet vessels,” the minister noted.
According to her, the country’s authorities continue to identify undesirable persons who pose a threat to national security, preventing them from entering Latvia and restricting their movement within the Schengen area.
“We continue to identify undesirable individuals who pose a threat to national security, denying them entry into Latvia and restricting their movement within the Schengen area. The Latvian government also approved regulations regarding a national sanctions regime in response to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” Baiba Braže added.
