Latvian president says Latvia would host nuclear weapons if NATO decides
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said Latvia would host nuclear weapons on its territory if NATO collectively decides it is necessary. He made the remarks at a press conference after a meeting with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, in response to the UK's offer of extended nuclear protection to Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member states. Rinkēvičs noted that no concrete deployment negotiations are currently underway and that Latvian law contains no legal barriers to such a deployment.
Key points
- Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said Latvia would host nuclear weapons if NATO collectively decides it is necessary.
- Rinkēvičs said no concrete negotiations on deploying nuclear weapons in Latvia are currently taking place.
- Latvian law contains no legal barriers to the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory, Rinkēvičs stated.
- Rinkēvičs said Latvia is already under NATO's nuclear umbrella, provided by the US and the UK.
- He noted the UK has proposed extending nuclear deterrence protection to Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member states.
- The JEF includes the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
- Rinkēvičs recalled that in 2003, prospective NATO members assured the Alliance they would have no restrictions on implementing NATO's full collective security mechanism, including nuclear deterrence.
Why it matters
Rinkēvičs's statement signals Latvia's openness to basing nuclear weapons on its soil as part of a NATO collective decision, potentially broadening the European footprint of allied nuclear deterrence. It comes alongside parallel moves by other NATO allies: Lithuania is removing its constitutional ban on hosting weapons of mass destruction, and Estonia is in talks with France on nuclear deterrence cooperation. The remarks also reinforce the UK's growing role in European nuclear deterrence alongside the United States, following its offer to extend nuclear protection to JEF members.
What happened
At a press conference following a meeting with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs stated that Latvia would host nuclear weapons on its territory if NATO collectively decides such a step is necessary. He stressed that no concrete negotiations on deployment are currently underway, but said Latvian law imposes no legal barriers to such a deployment. Rinkēvičs described the use of nuclear weapons as the most extreme measure, yet argued that nuclear deterrence prevents an aggressor from taking unpredictable or large-scale actions and that without it several conventional wars would already have broken out in Europe. He noted that Latvia is already under NATO's nuclear umbrella, provided by the US and the UK, and welcomed the UK's proposal to extend nuclear deterrence protection to Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member states, which include the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Rinkēvičs also recalled that in 2003, prospective NATO members assured the Alliance they would impose no restrictions on implementing NATO's full collective security mechanism, including participation in nuclear deterrence.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language outlets covering the story (ZN.UA and NV) report Rinkēvičs's commitment as conditional on a NATO decision and emphasise the absence of concrete deployment negotiations. One headline frames Latvia's stance as a conditional readiness to host nuclear weapons if NATO so decides, while the other highlights that no such negotiations are currently underway. Both present the statement as declaratory positioning rather than as an imminent policy change.
Background
The UK has offered extended nuclear protection to Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member states, which include the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Latvia is already covered by NATO's nuclear umbrella, provided by the US and the UK. In 2003, prospective NATO members assured the Alliance they would have no restrictions on implementing NATO's full collective security mechanism, including participation in nuclear deterrence. Latvia's Constitution contains no prohibition on the deployment of nuclear weapons, while Lithuania is in the process of removing such a ban — its parliament, the Seimas, supported the relevant constitutional amendment in the first reading on September 22. The NATO Nuclear Planning Group is the key consultative and decision-making body on these matters and operates by consensus, excluding France. On September 30, Moscow officially warned NATO of the possible use of nuclear weapons if Alliance actions lead to the isolation of the Kaliningrad region; NATO rejected the accusations and condemned the threats.