Latvian officer: West's response to Russia should be far tougher
National Guard staff officer Jānis Slaidiņš says the West's response to Russia should be much stronger, and notes that recent US-Russia talks were not held without purpose, even though their content remains unknown to the public.
Latvian National Armed Forces major and National Guard staff officer Jānis Slaidiņš said on TV24's program "Aktuālais par karadarbību Ukrainā" that Western countries are currently avoiding steps that could be seen as provoking Russia, but argued that given Russia's continued aggression, the response should be far more decisive.
To illustrate his point, Slaidiņš drew a historical parallel to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's meeting with Adolf Hitler before World War II, when Chamberlain returned declaring he had secured peace, hoping to avoid war by conceding territory.
Many countries make consensus difficult
According to the officer, the situation is complicated by the fact that decisions on a common position must be made by a large number of countries, making agreement difficult to reach. Still, he believes that since Russia is not stopping, measures against it should be far more drastic, including greater economic pressure.
Trade with Russia continues
Slaidiņš pointed to a contradiction between talk of restraining Russia and the reality that trade ties have not been fully severed. He noted that Europe continues to receive gas from Russia, and that several NATO member states, including Turkey, continue to purchase Russian oil.
High-level talks do not happen without reason
Commenting on the recent talks between US and Russian officials, Slaidiņš stressed that such meetings never take place without purpose, even if the public does not know what exactly was discussed. In his view, specific signals are exchanged between the sides during such meetings, and the fact that they take place at all points to their significance.
