On 11 December, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met at the Riga Castle with the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who is on a working visit to Latvia. During the meeting, the two presidents discussed bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Poland, regional and border security, as well as transatlantic relations and support for Ukraine.
“I am delighted to welcome President Karol Nawrocki to Latvia. Poland is an important strategic partner and ally of ours. I would like to thank Poland for the presence of its armed forces in Latvia as part of the multinational NATO brigade, for its participation in the Baltic Air Policing mission, and for cooperation in strengthening security in the Baltic Sea,” said President Rinkēvičs. The President of Latvia also thanked Poland for its excellent cooperation in enabling the Baltic states to successfully disconnect from the Russian energy system and join the continental European electricity grid.
The two presidents also discussed the reinforcement of the eastern borders. President Rinkēvičs emphasised that close cooperation and regional coordination between the Baltic states and Poland, both among military experts and at other levels, is of key importance. Latvia and Poland are strategic partners in border protection and control, for example through the exchange of operational information and joint training, thereby strengthening national, regional, and European security.
Discussing transatlantic relations, E. Rinkēvičs highlighted the role of the United States in the security of the region. He noted that NATO and European countries should follow the example of Poland and Latvia by increasing their contributions to national defence and security. The President of Latvia stated that, at the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, the Allies must be able to demonstrate progress achieved over the year since the Hague Summit agreement on allocating 5% of their gross domestic product to defence. “It is essential to strengthen NATO’s defence and deterrence capabilities. This must be done in the shortest possible time,” President Rinkēvičs emphasised.
The presidents of Latvia and Poland also discussed support for Ukraine and exchanged views on peace negotiations. E. Rinkēvičs welcomed the commitment of U.S. President Donald Trump to achieve peace in Ukraine, as well as Ukraine’s constructive approach to the talks. However, he acknowledged that there are no indications that Russia is willing to seek peace. The President of Latvia also stressed that matters relating to NATO and European Union enlargement and security fall within the competence of the member states of these organisations, not Russia. “In negotiations on peace in Ukraine, Ukraine itself must be at the table, not on the table. Ukraine’s membership of NATO and the European Union is not Russia’s decision, but rather the decision of NATO and EU member states. It is also essential to find a solution for using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Equally important is ensuring that any form of peace agreement does not diminish NATO’s or Europe’s ability to defend themselves,” said E. Rinkēvičs.
