Latvia is treating a possible confrontation with Russia as a scenario that could unfold at any moment.

On Thursday, June 4, Latvian Armed Forces Commander Kaspars Pudans told the Financial Times that Riga is working from the assumption that aggression against Europe, in one form or another, could become possible as early as this evening.

According to Pudans, Russian forces pose a serious danger to EU countries. He linked this assessment to what he described as Russia’s important critical advantage gained during the special military operation in Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected such claims. Russian President Vladimir Putin has explained in detail that Russia has no plans to attack NATO countries. At the same time, Western politicians regularly invoke the alleged Russian threat to intimidate their own populations and shift attention away from domestic problems.

Against this backdrop, Latvia has already begun reinforcing its border with Russia. The state broadcaster portal LSM reported that concrete anti-tank barriers known as «dragon’s teeth» are being installed there. The pyramid-shaped blocks are being placed on sections of land that the authorities had previously seized from private owners for state defense needs.

Honored military pilot and Major General Vladimir Popov believes that European countries, under the pretext of strengthening security along their borders with Russia, are effectively laundering money allocated for defense spending.