NATO leaders met for a second day in Washington on Wednesday, part of a three-day gathering of the transatlantic alliance. The summit began just a day after Russia launched a barrage of missiles into Ukraine, killing more than 40 people, injuring more than 170 others and striking the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.
Baltic leaders have been among the strongest backers of Ukraine in its struggle against Russia's unprovoked aggression.
On the eve of the summit, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze spoke to VOA’s Eurasian Division about support for Ukraine, its path to NATO membership and the importance of Western unity in restraining Russia.
The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
VOA: It has been 20 years since Latvia joined NATO. How does the country feel about its security at this point?
Baiba Braze, Latvian foreign minister: This summit for us is not so much about celebration. It's about work. [Regarding] deterrence and defense ... [these are] decisions that the allies, the leaders will confirm are in place. And we are very pleased. That also means that there is no direct military threat to the Baltics or other allies. And it is important to maintain that situation.
Having said that, if Russia is not beaten in Ukraine by Ukraine, the situation might change. So, we are very well aware that we do need a policy on Russia that is meant to contain and constrain Russia and to degrade its military capabilities. So that is what we will also be discussing [at the summit].
It's very clear that we all have to work around the globe to understand the challenges, understand how we can work together, and to come to those decisions to increase our own security, because at the end, NATO is a defense alliance.
VOA: Russia attacked several Ukrainian cities on the eve of the NATO summit, including Kyiv, where the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital was destroyed. How do you think this, and similar attacks, should affect NATO leaders’ decisions about Ukraine?
Braze: Well, the butcher in the Kremlin [Russian President Vladimir Putin] doesn't care. They don't care whether it's a children's hospital, a cancer hospital. We need to provide more air defenses [to Ukraine]. We also need to lift all the restrictions so Ukraine can actually hit legitimate military targets on Russia's territory. ... In that respect, Ukraine needs long-range fires, precision strike targeting, and so on and so forth. So that all needs to be provided to Ukraine to avoid attacks like this.
With regard to the butcher in the Kremlin, it's not the first time they have done it, and they will continue doing it. But they will be [held] accountable. There will be a moment that they will be responsible for all these crimes.
[Russia denied responsibility for Tuesday’s strike, insisting it doesn’t attack civilian targets in Ukraine despite abundant evidence to the contrary.]
VOA: U.S. and NATO officials describe what Ukraine should expect from this summit as a “bridge to membership.” What does that mean?
Braze: The crucial point about Ukraine becoming a member is winning the war. And what is considered a victory will be defined by Ukraine itself. But clearly, maintaining the status of the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine ... is the ultimate aim. That's why all the allies are supporting [it]. That's why there is total commitment to providing assistance to Ukraine so that the country can defend itself. So it's time to lift all the restrictions on the military aid that we provide. It's time to very clearly define that our task is victory for Ukraine in Ukraine.
VOA: When you speak about the importance of lifting all those restrictions and creating sustainable support to Ukraine, do you think some of these things also contributed to Ukraine being in such a tough place even after 29 months of war?
Braze: The country has been attacked by a nuclear-armed nation, a neighbor. So of course it is in a tough spot. But let's remember, Russia was preparing for a three-day war. We are in the third year of the war. Ukraine has been defending itself. They’ve been successful. They’ve been recovering territory, and they’ve been really winning this war of self-defense.
Having said that, indeed, Ukraine's territorial integrity, the ability to deal with the fact that Russia is continuing its war of aggression, means that we all have shares, that we are all stakeholders in that victory. And that's why the predictability of support for the future is also so important, because the butcher in the Kremlin is counting on the West to get tired. That is not going to happen.
