Latvian parliament speaker affirms Ukraine's place in NATO

Saturday 17 January 2026 - 11:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Latvian parliament speaker affirms Ukraine's place in NATO

The speaker of Latvia's parliament, Daiga Mieriņa, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that her country views Ukraine as a NATO member during a meeting in Kyiv on Thursday. She emphasized Latvia's full backing for Ukraine's integration into both NATO and the European Union, stating that Ukraine belongs in the alliance to bolster collective security.

This exchange comes amid European allies' efforts to solidify security assurances for Kyiv, as peace talks with Russia proceed under U.S. mediation. Mieriņa highlighted that Latvia's entire foreign policy now revolves around supporting Ukraine, a commitment she described as enduring.

The leaders discussed ongoing collaboration within the Coalition of the Willing, a European initiative launched in March 2025 to potentially deploy peacekeeping forces and security guarantees if a peace deal materializes. The coalition has grown to include 35 nations and recently signed a declaration of intent on troop deployments in such a scenario.

Talks also covered Latvia's role in the NATO-coordinated PURL initiative, which has delivered over $4 billion in U.S. weapons to Ukraine since August 2025. They addressed joint production under the EU's SAFE instrument, adopted in May 2025, enabling Ukraine to co-manufacture European defense equipment.

Latvia has emerged as one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters relative to its size, providing aid nearing one billion euros since the invasion began. The Baltic nation allocated 4.9% of its GDP to defense in 2026 and pledged at least 0.25% of its GDP in military assistance to Ukraine this year. As co-lead of the Drone Coalition alongside the United Kingdom, Latvia supplied 12,000 drones in 2025 and committed 15 million euros for drone production and innovative defense technologies in 2026.

Beyond bilateral aid, Latvia began its first term on the UN Security Council on January 1, prioritizing a just peace in Ukraine. Earlier this week, its UN ambassador addressed the council on peacekeeping and security there.

Zelensky thanked Latvia for its steadfast support from the outset of Russia's full-scale invasion. Mieriņa pledged continued Latvian efforts to advance Ukraine's EU accession, despite Hungary's veto blocking the first negotiation cluster. The European Commission is exploring options for swift but limited Ukrainian membership tied to a potential peace agreement.