Sweden's accession to NATO will fundamentally change the military situation in the Baltic Sea region, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (JV) said Tuesday during the NATO summit in Vilnius.
The Prime Minister explained that the Suvalki corridor, which is currently the only land corridor with the rest of Europe and is located between Königsberg and Belarus, was the only delivery route, but the NATO situation is changing significantly with the accession of Sweden and Finland.
Latvia will now have safe supply routes in conflict, as the Baltic Sea will actually become the NATO Sea. In Kariņš' view, it is good for Latvia in terms of security.
Apart from questions on strategic and planned support for Ukraine, strengthening the security of the Baltic region will also be topical at the summit.
There are two ways for a lasting peace in Europe. The first would require change in #Russia, but that is not happening. The other - #Ukraine joining #NATO .
— Krišjānis Kariņš (@krisjaniskarins) July 11, 2023
🇺🇦 is the only nation with recent experience fighting 🇷🇺, they would add immense value to the Alliance.#NATOSummit pic.twitter.com/AOE5ekdIkS
In an interview with Latvian Radio on Tuesday morning, Sigita Strūberga, secretary general of the Transatlantic Organization of Latvia, identified the strengthening of the eastern flank and common security as the most important possible benefits of the summit for the Baltic States.
Mārtiņš Vargulis, a researcher of the Latvian Foreign Policy Institute, said in a Latvian Television interview Tuesday: “The implementation of the Baltic region's defense plans is already visible, for example, yesterday's Canadian statement, as was the German statement on sending an additional brigade to Lithuania. Important issues are also the air and sea dimensions, where there are currently shortages. […] I think very soon we will be waiting for Sweden to join the NATO bloc, which will continue to strengthen our region, and the Baltic Sea will become a kind of NATO lake.”
