Rinkēvičs at NATO Summit in Ankara: Photo with Cat and Emphasis on Alliance's Role

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, attending the NATO summit in Ankara, posted a photo on Facebook showing him stroking a ginger cat lying on its back. He accompanied the post with a humorous comment: "Sorry, I couldn't resist." The image quickly gathered thousands of likes, with commenters praising the heartwarming moment, noting that "humanity is not canceled" and "everything is being done right."

During a press briefing at the summit, Rinkēvičs stated that Russia likes to scare regional countries, but NATO stands behind them. In his view, a military invasion is not expected, but preparations for hybrid warfare are necessary. "Russia likes it when we are afraid. That's why it's important, when we talk about threats to the Eastern flank, to say that NATO stands behind us. If there is an attack, Latvia will fight, and so will all of NATO," the president said.

Rinkēvičs highlighted two key achievements of the summit: an agreement to continue support for Ukraine in repelling Russian aggression and an agreement to increase member states' defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Latvia already spends 5% of its GDP on defense, and Rinkēvičs urged his colleagues to do the same.

Asked about US President Donald Trump's statements on taking over Greenland, Rinkēvičs emphasized that Latvia's position is unequivocal: Greenland is an integral part of Denmark, but the security of the Arctic region must be seriously considered. Regarding Europe's relations with Trump, he noted that the US is an indispensable ally. "Europe and NATO need the US, but the US also needs Europe," the president remarked.