Putin made concerning comments about a NATO member

Tensions between Russia and Latvia have been rising
Putin targeting Latvia’s new language law
Latvia will have only one official language
One quarter of Latvia speaks Russian
Ended bilingual education in Latvia
Removing monuments and diplomats
Moving away from Latvia’s past
De-Russifying Latvia could cause issues
Latvia’s policies won’t bring happiness
What goes around comes around
Rhetoric meant for a domestic audience
A distraction from Russia’s problems
The world should stand against Putin
Sanding against Russia pressure
Russia won’t use its army to change things
Applying non-military pressure of Latvia
Tensions between Russia and Latvia have been rising

Vladimir Putin issued a worrying threat against his Latvian neighbor amid rising tensions between the two countries. Here’s why Latvia and Russia are having problems and what it could mean for stability in the region. 

Putin targeting Latvia’s new language law

On December 4th, Putin attended a meeting of the country’s Council for Development of Civil Society and Human Rights via video and made a number of concerning statements about new policies from Latvia’s government. 

Latvia will have only one official language

Latvian authorities adopted a law in September 2022 that would transition the country’s educational system towards one with only one official language—Latvian. The decision was a major issue for leaders in the Kremlin. 

One quarter of Latvia speaks Russian

Latvia has a substantial Russian-speaking population according to Politico, which noted that as much as one-quarter of the country speaks Russian. That would amount to about 1.8 million of the Baltic country’s inhabitants. 

Ended bilingual education in Latvia

Most state schools currently offer a bilingual curriculum but Russian will be phased out before September 2025 according to the new language legislation. The policy was meant to be part of Latvia’s larger de-Russification goals. 

Removing monuments and diplomats

Politico noted that Latvia has taken a strong stance against Russia since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine and has dismantled its Soviet-era war monuments and removed a number of Russian diplomats from the country. 

Moving away from Latvia’s past

“Latvia has separated the Latvian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church and banned some Russian TV broadcasts,” explained Foreign Policy’s Anchal Vohra in March. But these measures have made Latvia a target. 

De-Russifying Latvia could cause issues

Latvia’s de-Russification changes are the exact type of policies Putin and leaders in Moscow would use to push the Kremlin’s internal messaging about the world being against Russia and irk the ire of its people. 

Latvia’s policies won’t bring happiness

This was exactly what Putin warned Latvians about while speaking on December 4th. "I don't think that happiness will come to those who pursue such policies," Putin explained according to the translation from RBC Ukraine quoted by Newsweek. 

What goes around comes around

“If they pursue such a policy towards people who wanted to live in that country, worked there, created some good for that country, and they treat them so swinishly, then, eventually, they themselves will face this swinish behavior within their country," Putin added. 

Rhetoric meant for a domestic audience

The worrying remarks from Putin weren’t anything new according to the Latvian Foreign Ministry, which noted in a statement to Newsweek that the rhetoric coming from Moscow was intended for domestic consumption inside Russia. 

A distraction from Russia’s problems

“We see this as yet another attempt to distract attention from Russia's blatant violation of international law primarily, the crimes Russia is committing in Ukraine and, secondly, the ongoing domestic repressions in Russia,” the statement explained.

The world should stand against Putin

The Latvian Foreign Ministry’s statement went on to note that Putin’s remarks confirmed that Ukraine's allies and countries around the world needed to band together to support Ukraine and the current rules-based international order. 

Sanding against Russia pressure

"All of the countries having a direct border and painful history with Russia,” the statement continued, adding that Latvia and other countries “know how to stay vigilant and resilient against Russia's attempts to [pressure]." 

Russia won’t use its army to change things

Despite Putin’s worrying remarks, it's unlikely that Russia would do anything to militarily alter the situation in Latvia since the country is a member of NATO and protected by the alliance's Article 5 clause that would bring all NATO members to its aid. 

Applying non-military pressure of Latvia

However, that doesn’t mean that Moscow wouldn’t apply pressure to Latvia’s society through propaganda campaigns and the facilitation of asylum seekers on its borders, a problem new NATO member Finland has been undergoing since October. 

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