Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the world "has not become safer and risks have grown". Russia has also been able to transform into a military economy.
The war in Gaza is expanding, and Houthi rebels are also attacking the Red Sea. “In total, the world is becoming more restless and uncertain and more volatile,” Sārts said.
At the same time, NATO is holding its largest military exercises in a decade and is also preparing for worst-case scenarios.
"Consequently, yes, those 30 years since we previously lived in comparative peace have passed. We probably won't see an environment like that for a while, on the one hand. On the other hand, we are part of NATO, NATO is capable of functioning and is also preparing for worst-case scenarios," Sārts said.
Previously, the National Armed Forces (NBS) said in a statement that the security situation in Latvia is as stable as in other NATO Member States, such as Spain, France or Italy. Sārts argued, however, that the differences in the security situation exist: "We have a neighbor next to us who has demonstrated over and over again its willingness to attack its neighbors, both with hybrid attacks and militarily. It's become a neighbor that only works economically for war, and it's a society that fully accepts it. This is a big factor in our safety."
