Latvian President Rinkevics Warns of Danger from Great Power Politics

(MENAFN) Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has cautioned that the rising global trend toward spheres of influence and great power politics poses a serious threat to the Baltic states and neighboring countries.

“I agree that there is a new emerging order. Yes, I agree that there is a kind of desire to divide the world into spheres of influence,” Rinkevics told Polish broadcaster on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Sunday.

He described the current international environment as one where the post-Cold War era and the rules-based system established after World War II have eroded, replaced by “great power politics” driven by countries such as China, the United States, and, questionably, Russia, along with the European Union if it acts collectively.

Rinkevics warned that such power divisions are “dangerous for our existence, and we need to take this very, very seriously.” He emphasized the need for emerging rules that even great powers would follow, noting, “And then even great powers will need order, some kind of rules that we all follow. And I think this is emerging. This is a dangerous situation.”

When asked about Latvia’s contingency plans should NATO fail, Rinkevics outlined multiple layers of defense, including national, regional, European, and transatlantic mechanisms.

Despite the risks, he expressed confidence in the transatlantic alliance, highlighting ongoing cooperation: “There is a lot of rhetoric, but there is also a lot of practical cooperation with the United States and Canada going on.”

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