DW: For his unannounced visit to Moscow, the CIA director flew to the Russian capital via Riga. Does Latvia have any connection with this visit?
Andris Kulbergs: We are a strategic partner of the United States and are always ready to help our partners use our infrastructure. I think this is simply the shortest and optimal route to travel to Russia.
DW: Some media outlets report that John Ratcliffe may have discussed in Moscow Putin's possible readiness to attack the Baltic states. It is stated that he warned Moscow not to take such a step. Do you know anything about this?
Kulbergs: I think the main issue is the end of the war in Ukraine, the cessation of hostilities. I think that this is what was discussed. We support all US efforts in this direction, since it is the United States that can really influence the course of the war. We support the US in all attempts to bring it to an end.
"If you want peace, you must always be prepared for the worst"
DV: But do you have any concrete evidence that Russia is preparing an attack on the Baltic states?
Kulbergs: No, there is no such data. This was also confirmed by Ukraine after my three-day meeting with President Zelensky. Of course, we live in a changing environment. And although we see that Russia is not making progress militarily, some hybrid attacks or cyberattacks are always possible. That is why, if you want peace, you should always be prepared for the worst. That is why we are doing everything we can to invest in our defense and security.
DV: What do you mean by "changing environment"?
Kulbergs: Russia is losing the war, failing to advance, and losing many people every month. This means that the Russian leadership must answer its own population why all this is happening. Why are there attempts to occupy Ukraine? Why are buildings and logistics centers being blown up? Why is there a fuel shortage? All these questions are being asked. That is why the environment is changing. Our neighbor is unpredictable. And that is why we, as a country on the eastern flank, must secure the external borders of the entire European Union.
DV: If there is no evidence of preparations for war, are there other signs of a threat from Russia against the Baltic states?
Kulbergs: And not only against the Baltic states. Such a possibility always exists. We are observing an increase in the number of cyberattacks. We are observing an instrumentalized hybrid attack on our border, organized by the Kremlin through Belarus in the form of transferring illegal migrants to our borders.
We see that special forces are involved in this and that there is support from the government. We are keeping the border fortified. We are currently conducting a special operation (to limit illegal migration - ed.). This is an example of such a threat.
"This will not end well for Russia"
DV: Are people in Latvia currently being told about the need to prepare for war?
Kulbergs: We are a NATO country. The alliance is stronger than ever. We are close strategic partners of the United States, as well as other countries. They are all present here, NATO forces are stationed on our territory. We have increased our presence and have more forces on the ground than before.
We need to secure the border. And we need to realize that Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine has been going on for five years. This is a threat to Europe. Any war is unacceptable, so we need to be prepared for any scenario.
But to answer your question - we are preparing so that we do not have a weak link. We need to remain strong and united. NATO has become stronger. We have seen Finland and Sweden join NATO, which until recently were not part of the Alliance.
DV: What would you say to Vladimir Putin?
Kulbergs: I would say to the Russian people: In the future, every Russian will be forced to take responsibility for what Putin has decided to do. Realize this. You are killing your own people. You are destroying the future and prosperity of your own country. This will not end well for Russia.