On Thursday, 30 January, in her address to the participants of the annual foreign policy debate of the Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that U.S. leadership in finding a solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine can reasonably be expected. “Ukrainians will have the final word on what kind of peace or ceasefire is acceptable to them. That is why during the talks, Ukraine must be present at the table, not on the table,” emphasised MP Mūrniece.
In her address, MP Mūrniece noted that 2024 was a year of war and conflict. Ināra Mūrniece recognised that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shook the established world order like an earthquake, and its repercussions continue to affect global stability. “We see Russia’s imperial ambitions echoed throughout the world. Despite Russia’s enormous loss of troops in Ukraine and the negative impact of the war on Russian economy, Russia continues to entangle new spheres of influence in its web,” said MP Mūrniece.
Regarding the West’s strategy on opposing Russia, MP Mūrniece emphasised: “We must respond with sanctions, sanctions, and more sanctions, and we must prevent the evasion of sanctions”.
The strength of democratic states lies in their ability to cooperate. “As the new U.S. administration takes office, Europe is facing some turbulence and uncertainty. The United States is returning to conservative values, protecting the interests of its citizens, and reducing uncontrolled migration; it is getting back to basics, and hopefully this change will have a positive impact in Europe. It will benefit those who can cooperate. And cooperation can only emerge from discussion, instead of shouting and name-calling. All the more so because the EU and U.S. will have to work together on finding solutions to dealing with the growing threats posed by Russia and China,” highlighted MP Mūrniece.
The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee added that determination and decisiveness are required to endure and overcome any future challenges. “Our approach to applying pressure must be far-sighted and based on our historical experience and future vision on strengthening the security of Latvia and Europe,” said MP Mūrniece.
Ināra Mūrniece also noted that Europe has received a strong and clear message from the newly-elected U.S. President and his administration: Europe must increase its security investments and become capable of self-defence. “Our commitment to allocating 5% of our GDP to security and defence spending in the upcoming years is imperative. We need to be able to agree on this target, but our allies must also be clearly informed on how we plan to achieve it,” said MP Mūrniece.
Saeima Press Service