Latvian president: most NATO states could not repel Russian missile attack
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs warned in an interview with The Guardian, given during a visit to Washington, that most NATO countries would struggle to handle a Russian missile attack on European territory and that Europe is not keeping pace with drone and air-warfare technology being developed in Ukraine. He said preparations could become obsolete by mid-2026 or mid-2027. The warning came as Poland's Donald Tusk said Russia could strike NATO supporters within months, and Donald Trump responded dismissively.
Key points
- Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said most NATO countries would struggle to repel a Russian missile attack if the conflict expanded.
- Rinkēvičs said drone-warfare technology in Ukraine is developing at a "lightning" pace and that Europe is falling behind.
- Ukraine and European allies face delays in deliveries of interceptors for Patriot and other air-defence systems.
- A US Congressional Budget Office analysis estimated replenishing interceptor stocks could take at least five years.
- The US has considered transferring Patriot production licences to Ukraine and Europe, but no agreement has been reached.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia could strike NATO countries supporting Ukraine with drones or missiles in the coming months.
- Donald Trump, asked about Tusk's warning, said: "I think they've already been attacking Ukraine's allies. They've been attacking Ukraine's allies for about five years."
Why it matters
A sitting NATO head of state publicly warned that most Alliance members could not repel a Russian missile attack, directly tying Europe's air-defence gap to rapid innovation in Ukraine. Combined with delivery delays for Patriot interceptors, a five-year CBO replenishment estimate, and the unresolved question of US Patriot production licences, the interview frames a transatlantic munitions shortfall as an urgent, shared vulnerability — and exposes a visible split among allied leaders, with Tusk sounding the alarm and Trump brushing it off.
What happened
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, speaking to The Guardian during a visit to Washington ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and European leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York on 22–28 September, said most NATO countries would be unable to repel a Russian missile attack if the war expanded and would struggle to handle even a limited Russian strike on European territory. He argued that European preparations for air warfare risk becoming obsolete as soon as mid-2026 or, in another reading of his remarks, by mid-2027, and said drone-warfare technology in Ukraine is advancing "at lightning speed," with Europe failing to keep up. He added that Ukraine, Europe and NATO all face serious problems in air defence, drone defence and missile defence.
The interview also covered munitions: Ukraine and European allies are experiencing delays in deliveries of interceptors for Patriot and other air-defence systems. According to a US Congressional Budget Office analysis cited in the coverage, the United States used nearly two-thirds of its stocks of critical interceptors during a war with Iran, and replenishing those stocks could take at least five years. Rinkēvičs said Patriot remains one of the best air-defence systems and that the US has considered transferring Patriot production licences to Ukraine and Europe, but discussions are ongoing and have run into technical licensing issues.
Rinkēvičs further said he expects Russia to intensify mobilisation after local elections and then use winter to advance in Ukraine and deter countries from continuing their support. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk gave a parallel warning that Russia could carry out drone or missile strikes against NATO countries supporting Ukraine within months; Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Lithuania has similar intelligence on planned Russian hybrid attacks. Asked about Tusk's concerns, Donald Trump replied: "I think they've already been attacking Ukraine's allies. They've been attacking Ukraine's allies for about five years."
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All of the supplied sources are Ukrainian outlets (LIGA.net, ZN.UA, Європейська правда, NV) reporting in Ukrainian. Their coverage foregrounds the threat to NATO and Europe and emphasises Ukraine as the source of cutting-edge drone and air-defence lessons that Europe is failing to absorb. They highlight Patriot interceptor delays as a problem hitting Ukraine directly, not just Europe, and place Rinkēvičs's warning alongside Tusk's parallel alert and Trump's dismissive reply, presenting allied responses as divided and leaving Ukraine exposed to the same munitions shortfalls the interview describes.
How international sources describe it
The supplied sources are all Ukrainian, so no separate international editorial framing is represented in the material. The international angle that does appear is the Guardian interview itself, which frames the warnings in the context of a Trump–European leaders meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York on 22–28 September.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the timeline Rinkēvičs gave for current European air-warfare preparations becoming obsolete: one account cites mid-2027, another cites the middle of the next year, i.e. mid-2026. The two framings are roughly a year apart.
Background
The interview was given while Rinkēvičs was in Washington, ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and European leaders during the UN General Assembly in New York on 22–28 September. According to Politico, European officials are increasingly worried that Russia could carry out drone or missile attacks against NATO countries as Moscow intensifies its hybrid campaign; Germany is preparing hospitals, Lithuania has updated its evacuation plans, and NATO troops are exercising in the Baltic region, while Belarusian armed forces have held large-scale exercises near Lithuania. Rinkēvičs said Russia is likely to intensify mobilisation after local elections and then use winter to advance in Ukraine and deter countries from continuing their support.