As a NATO member, "Latvia is militarily secured as well as never before". However, it is not 100% ready for the risk of invasion by the Russian Federation, Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Ilgvars Klava said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to the Ambassador, Latvia does not believe that the risk of an invasion by Russia is very high. At the same time, the country, as a NATO member, constantly cooperates with its allies and invests significant resources in defense and military.
"The point is that this is a process. You cannot say that we are 100% ready. No country in the world is ready. There are always technological improvements, changes on the modern battlefield, changes in military tactics, equipment, technologies, and so on ", said Klava.
At the same time, as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, Latvia is doing its best to minimize any threat.
"And that is exactly what we are doing. And part of that preparation is informing society about what needs to be done in order to avoid military conflict. If such a thing happens, then we are to be prepared as individuals, as members of society, to act accordingly to the situation that is created, be it military confrontation or some sort of hybrid threat," the Ambassador said.
Commenting on the shelters and booklets, Klava added that these are elements of preparing Latvian society physically and psychologically for the appropriate scenario.
NATO prepares for possible escalations
Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, argued that the West must be prepared for an era in which anything can happen at any time, including the outbreak of war.
Also, this winter, Latvia introduced compulsory military service for men of a certain age to deter Russia from invading Western countries.