Ambassador Christopher Robinson
Latvijas Avīze
March 26, 2024
“Latvia knows the meaning of security and the loss of it. And this is why being invited into an Alliance that will ensure our security is a momentous moment that will be writ large in the history of our nation,” said your President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on the day that Latvia received the invitation to join NATO.
This year the United States joins the people of Latvia in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Latvia’s momentous accession into NATO and the 75th anniversary of the NATO Alliance.
The threat facing Latvia is more immediate today than in 2004. But President Vike-Freiberga was right: Latvia’s membership in NATO means your security is assured.
I understand the anxiety created by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, especially given that Latvia is just one generation removed from Soviet occupation. But you can have full confidence in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which says that an attack against one NATO Ally will be considered an attack against them all.
It is this principle of collective defense backed by the military might of the 32 NATO Allies that deters Russia from attacking Allied territory. Since NATO’s founding in 1949, American presidents from both parties have been clear that Article 5 is an ironclad commitment. My Embassy colleagues and I work every day with our Latvian partners to meet that commitment. Together, we are ensuring we can defend every inch of Latvian and NATO territory.
Thanks to smart choices by the Latvian government and sacrifices by the Latvian people, Latvia now invests 2.37 percent of GDP on defense. You should be proud to be a model for the Alliance. Latvia also contributes by hosting the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence and serving as host nation for U.S. forces as well as troops from the Canada-led Enhanced Forward Presence battalion. Latvia is a voice of moral clarity, reminding all Allies what is at stake.
As Ambassador, I will ensure that we further strengthen our security partnership. In recent months, Latvia signed agreements with the United States to dramatically upgrade your military capabilities with the purchases of coastal defense and HIMARS systems. Black Hawk helicopters now patrol the skies over Lielvarde. The United States is working with Latvia’s State Border Guard to reinforce your borders with Russia and Belarus. Our two countries are learning from each other on how to combat disinformation and cyberattacks.
At the Washington Summit in July, NATO will advance the implementation of the Alliance’s most robust defense plans since the end of the Cold War, strengthening our collective deterrence and defense.
This is what NATO has always done – adapt to address evolving challenges, demonstrating our strength, innovation, and enduring resilience.
The NATO of 2024 is larger, stronger, and more united than ever. While Vladimir Putin thought he could divide NATO, the historic enlargement of the Alliance with Finland and Sweden only strengthens our collective ability to deter and defend. We are more ready to prevail over any military challenge.
Beyond military plans and weapons systems, the strength of our Alliance ultimately comes down to the men and women in uniform who defend our nations’ security. I am moved when I see a U.S. Army soldier from Michigan and a Zemessardze member from Madona train together as brothers and sisters in arms. This is the true meaning of what it is to be Allies, and our adversaries cannot match our Alliance’s strength.
I recall that on the same week that the NATO Allies invited the Baltic States to join the Alliance, U.S. President George W. Bush gave his own speech in Vilnius. He promised that with NATO membership, “In the face of aggression, the brave people of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will never again stand alone.”
Latvia is not alone. On this 20th anniversary of your entry into NATO, know that you can count on the United States and other Allies to stand with you to defend our collective security against any threat.