AGGRESS FOR YEARS.
NOW, UNLESS THEY GO FURTHER
SUPPORT FROM ALLIES, SOME WORRY
THEY COULD BE NEXT.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> LET ME START WITH, LOOK, WE
CAN TALK ABOUT PREWAR HERE IN A
MINUTE.
WHAT DO YOU NEED RIGHT NOW? WHAT IS THE CONCERN OF THE
WHAT IS THE CONCERN OF THE
AVERAGE LATVIAN CITIZENS?
>> IT'S NOT THE STRENGTH OF
RUSSIA, IT'S THE WEAKNESS OF THE
WEST.
WHAT WE NEED IS A NATION WHICH
IS ALREADY SPENDING FROM OUR GDP
AND OUR DEFENSE AND BEING A NATO
AND EUROPEAN BORDER COUNTRY, WE
NEED MORE FIRE POWER AND WE NEED
ALSO A LARGER PRESENCE BECAUSE
SEEING WHAT KIND OF BULLY
NEIGHBOR WE DO HAVE, WE CANNOT
RELY THAT IF THEY INVADE OUR
TERRITORY IN CERTAIN MOMENT THAT
WE CAN STOP THEM IMMEDIATELY.
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR
STRATEGY MUST BE.
NOT TO RECOVER AND LIBERATE
AFTER BUT TO STOP THEM
IMMEDIATELY.
>> YOU DON'T WANT TO BE PUT IN
THE UKRAINIAN SITUATION WHERE
SUDDENLY YOU NEED ALL THESE --
AFTER THE FACT THERE'S NO DOUBT
IT HAS HELPED UKRAINE DO THIS
BUT IT WAS AFTER THE FACT.
>> YES, BECAUSE AFTERTHERE WILL
BE DOUBTS AND CEASE-FIRES.
>> RIGHT NOW THERE'S 2,700
AMERICAN TROOPS ACROSS THE THREE
BALTICS STATES.
HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SEE?
>> THESE TROOPS THAT YOU ARE
COUNTING ARE NOT ON A PERMANENT
BASIS.
THEY'RE COMING AND LEAVING.
SO AS THEY COME MAYBE FOR ONE OR
TWO MONTHS, THEY TRAIN WITH
US --
>> YOU WANT PERMANENT BASIS.
>> WE WANT A PERMANENT
STATIONING OF CERTAIN AMERICAN
NUMBER OF TROOPS OR A CERTAIN
CAPABILITIES LIKE, FOR INSTANCE,
AIR DEFENSE OR, FOR INSTANCE,
ROCKET ARTILLERY, WHICH AT THIS
MOMENT AMERICANS STATIONED IN
GERMANY, THERE ARE NO DANGERS IN
GERMANY WHERE YOU COULD USE
ROCKET A TIMRY BUTRTILLERY AND S
COULD TRAIN TOGETHER AND
EVENTUALLY PURCHASE OURSELVES.
ADDITIONALLY WE ARE ASKING
AMERICANS ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL
AND MILITARY SUPPORT TO BUILD
OUR ARMIES FURTHER ON.
>> AS YOU'RE WATCHING, WHAT IS
YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN AS THESE
PEACE TALKS ARE ATTEMPTED AND AN
ATTEMPT TO TRY TO END THE HOT
WAR HERE?
WHAT'S YOUR CONCERN OF THE
VARIOUS POTENTIAL ENDINGS TO
THIS CONFLICT THAT WE CAN SEE?
>> THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT
WE ARE SOME WESTERN ALLIES OR
POLITICIANS OR EXPERTS WHO ARE
WISHING WELL AND GOOD TO REACH A
CEASE-FIRE, BUT THE CEASE-FIRE
ALONE IS SIMPLY A RUSSIAN AND A
KREMLIN TRAP BECAUSE IF YOU
WOULD AGREE ON A CEASE-FIRE,
RESULT WITH TRAULDRAWAL OF RUSSI
TROOPS, AT LEAST TO THE 24th OF
FEBRUARY THEY WILL DIG IN AND
DESTROY THE COUNTRY AND HAVE A
LONG
LONG-TERM POSSIBILITY FOR THE
NEXT WAR AGAIN.
IF WE WANT THE CEASE-FIRE
WITHDRAW OUT OF MARIUPOL AND OUT
OF UKRAINE.
THAT'S THE POINT.
>> BOTTOM LINE IS IF IT'S
ANYTHING THAT ESSENTIALLY GIVES
HIM SOME FORM WATCH HE WANTED IN
THE DONBAS REGION, YOU THINK
THAT'S GOING TO SEND THE WRONG
MESSAGE?
>> I THINK SERIOUS TALKS CAN
START WITH RUSSIA ONLY WHEN THEY
ARE READY AND THEY ARE NOT READY
NOW AND ONCE THEY WITHDRAW WITH
THE POSITIONS THEY TOOK, ALL THE
REST IS JUST FAKE THINGS AND
LYING FROM THEIR SIDE.
>> I'M CURIOUS, WHAT KIND OF
RUSSIAN FLIGHT HAVE YOU SEEN
COME INTO LATVIA?
WE HEAR ABOUT THE BRAIN DRAIN
THAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE, THAT
RUSSIAN PROFESSIONALS, YOUR
DENNISTS,
DENTISTS, LAWYER, ACCOUNTANTS,
ARE YOU SEEING INFLUX?
>> YES, WE DO.
WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT
CAREFUL NOW.
FIRST OF ALL, WE SEE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF NEWS AGENCIES AND
FLEEING, PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY
CANNOT DO THEIR WORK IN RUSSIA.
THEN WE SEE ALSO PEOPLE WHO WERE
EARLIER PURCHASING SOME
APARTMENTS OR HOUSES.
THEY USE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO
THE WEST TO COME TO US.
BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE ALSO
SOME OTHER PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY
WANT CONVENIENCE OR DON'T WANT
TO BE EVEN DRAFTED.
SO -- AND I BELIEVE THERE COULD
BE ALSO SOME MOLES COMING.
SO WE HAVE TO BE A BIT CAREFUL.
>> HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH
THAT?
HOW DO YOU VET?
>> WE ARE INTERVIEWING AND VERY
CAREFUL.
>> ARE YOU REALLY?
>> YEAH, WE DO.
>> WHEN YOU SEE THE -- RIGHT NOW
THE WESTERN ALLIANCE HAS A BUNCH
OF DEMOCRACIES NERVOUS BECAUSE
OF THE RISING COST OF ENERGY.
THAT CAN HAVE THE CONCERN ABOUT
WE GOT TO KEEP THE ENERGY
FLOWING, THEY WANT TO KEEP A
RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE
DONE OR DO YOU WANT TO SEE
EUROPE CUT ITSELF OFF COMPLETELY
FROM RUSSIAN ENERGY?
>> LOOK, WE WANT RELATIONSHIP
WITH RUSSIA.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN
WE PRONOUNCE THESE WORDS
BECAUSE, YES, THERE HAVE BEEN A
LOT OF MISTAKES ACTUALLY BY OUR
WESTERN ALLIES MADE PREVIOUSLY.
WHICH PARTLY ALSO FACILITATED
THIS WAR.
FOR INSTANCE, THE ENGAGEMENT
WITH THE TOTALITARIAN REGIMES,
WE WILL CHANGE THEM.
NO.
WE GOT MORE CORRUPTED, WE GOT
INSTALLED A DIFFERENT -- LET'S
SAY AN ECONOMIC POWER.
SO IN BRIEF I BELIEVE IT'S TIME
TO DEPUTINIZE THE WEST.
IF YOU WANT TO STOP THIS VIOLENT
WAR, THEN IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY PUTTING
MAXIMUM SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA NOW
AND THE MAXIMUM MILITARY SUPPORT
TO UKRAINE.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY HOW WE CAN
FINISH.
>> WHEN YOU SEE THE RUBLE
RECOVERING IN RUSSIA, DOES THAT
MEAN OUR SANCTIONS AREN'T
WORKING AS WELL AS THEY COULD
IN.
>> SANCTIONS ARE LONG TERM AND
RUSSIANS AND PUTIN IS QUITE ABLE
TO ENDURE SO WE HAVE TO MOUNT IT
UP, AS I MENTIONED, ALONG WITH
THE MILITARY SUPPORT TO UKRAINE
AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE CAPABLE
SO TO SPILL MORE ON MONEY,
INCLUDING STOPPING GAS, OIL,
CLOSING PORTS TO RUSSIAN SHIPS
BECAUSE IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO
SPILL OUR BLOOD, WE MUST SPILL
MONEY.