Edgars Rinkēvičs
Edgars Rinkēvičs is a Latvian politician and diplomat who served as the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2023 and led the New Unity party. Following the 2023 parliamentary election, he was confirmed by the Saeima as President of Latvia, becoming the country's first openly gay head of state. He is known for his strongly pro-European and pro-NATO stance, including vocal support for Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion.
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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.