Weekly Latvian news digest

Celebrating 35 years of freedom since the end of Soviet occupation! | 2026 digest index

Monday, January 26 – Sunday, February 1, 2026

Diplomacy and security

High-level diplomatic meetings focused on regional security this week. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström visited Latvia, affirming Sweden's role as a committed ally and discussing support for Ukraine, future NATO summit priorities, and the security of the Baltic Sea region. In a separate meeting, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met in Rīga. They agreed on the need for Europe to shift to a war footing regarding defense industry production and to continue robust support for Ukraine, with Baerbock stating that Europe's freedom is also defended in Ukraine.

On the defense front, the three Baltic states are planning a joint Military Mobility Zone. The initiative, described by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, aims to simplify and harmonize regulations for the movement of allied forces and military assets across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, effectively creating a single borderless area for military transit.

A tragic incident occurred within the allied forces, as a Canadian soldier died in Latvia. The soldier, whose identity has not been released, was found deceased at Camp Ādaži. The Canadian Armed Forces stated the death is not related to operations and an investigation is underway.

The State Security Service (VDD) of Latvia issued a stark warning, stating that Russia's strategic thinking regarding the Baltic states mirrors how it viewed Ukraine before the full-scale invasion. The VDD assesses that Russia is considering a limited military operation with the goal of creating a land corridor to the Kaliningrad region through Latvia and Lithuania.

In related legal actions, the VDD has sought prosecution against another pro-Russian activist, Viktors Bunkovs, for publicly justifying Russia's aggression in Ukraine. This follows the sentencing of Kremlin supporter Aleksandrs Gapoņenko to 10 years in prison for espionage on behalf of Russia. Furthermore, Foreign Minister Baiba Braže announced that Latvia will not accept new migrants under a proposed EU mechanism, citing the need to first integrate those already present and highlighting the instrumentalization of migration as a hybrid threat.

Latvia also engaged in other diplomatic engagements, as State Secretary Andrejs Viļumsons met with the appointed Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Latvia, Mai Taha Khalil, to discuss bilateral cooperation. On the international stage, the European Union and India have concluded negotiations on a historic free trade agreement, and Latvian Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Armands Uršuļskis expressed Latvia's support for the European Democracy Shield initiative to protect democratic processes from disinformation.

Society and crime

Latvia's security services remain active against perceived internal threats. As noted above, the State Security Service (VDD) is seeking prosecution against pro-Russian activist Viktors Bunkovs for justifying military aggression. Separately, the Riga City Court sentenced Aleksandrs Gapoņenko to 10 years in prison for espionage on behalf of Russia, a conviction Gapoņenko plans to appeal.

An anecdote from abroad saw members of the Minneapolis Latvian community draw parallels between their experience with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a recent incident and the tactics of Russian riot police, describing a feeling of psychological terror from the encounter.

Economy and transport

Latvia's minimum wage is currently ranked 14th among the 27 European Union member states, according to Eurostat data. At €700 per month, it sits above several Eastern European nations but below the EU average.

Major infrastructure project Rail Baltica faces significant delays. The head of the Latvian project, Ainis Stūrmanis, stated the railway will be years late and acknowledged that the initial 2030 deadline for full completion from Warsaw to Tallinn is not realistic, though work on key sections continues.

In a move to facilitate connections with Ukraine, Latvia and Ukraine have signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of driver's licenses, allowing holders of valid national licenses from one country to drive in the other without needing an international permit.

Culture and history

The cultural scene was active with the first semi-final of Latvia's Eurovision selection show Supernova taking place, where six acts advanced to the next round. Meanwhile, a planned tribute concert for maestro Raimonds Pauls has sparked controversy, as the organizers, SIA Labvēlīgais Tips, have reportedly not consulted the artist's family and are charging a high ticket price, leading to criticism from Pauls' daughter and others.

A historical concern has been raised regarding Wikipedia policy, where articles about medieval Baltic history are being categorized under History of Russia due to a site rule that geographically sorts historical articles under modern states. This has prompted objections from Baltic editors who argue it misrepresents their nations' histories as part of a Russiasphere.

Digest sources

Citās ziņās

Sabiedrība un kultūra

Rīgā uzsākta ziedojumu vākšana vēsturisko Rīgas Svētā Jēkaba katedrāles ērģeļu atjaunošanai. Restaurācijas darbi, kuru aptuvenās izmaksas ir 550 000 eiro, jāpabeidz līdz Rīgas 830. dzimšanas dienai 2027. gadā; jau savākti ap 70 000 eiro.

Par ebreju glābšanu holokausta laikā šonedēļ tika godināta Marijas Kelleres ģimene no Bauskas. Goda nosaukumu “Pasaules tautu taisnīgais” piešķīra Izraēlas piemiņas institūts Yad Vashem, un goda diplomu pasniedza Izraēlas vēstniecības pārstāvis.

Radošu strīdu un nesaskaņu starp muzeja dibinātājiem un Valsts nekustamajiem īpašumiem dēļ pašlaik nav skaidra Nacionālās pretošanās kustības muzeja nākotne. Muzeja darbība tiek turpināta, taču jautājums par tā telpu īpašumtiesībām joprojām paliek neatrisināts.

Transports un infrastruktūra

Rīgas domes Satiksmes departaments pavasarī gatavojas atjaunot nakts sabiedriskā transporta satiksmi. Plānots ieviest piecus jaunus nakts transporta maršrutus, kas savienos centru ar Purvciemu, Ziepniekkalnu, Imantu, Zolitūdi un Bukulti. Paredzams, ka satiksme darbosies no pulksten 23.00 līdz 5.00, un jaunie maršruti varētu sākt kursēt jau 1. aprīlī.

Kuldīgā atklāts pirmais Kurzemē specializētais “Patria” bruņutehnikas apmācību laukums. Laukums ir aprīkots ar dažādiem šķēršļiem un paredzēts Latvijas un sabiedroto karavīru apmācībai, uzlabojot bruņutehnikas vadīšanas prasmes.

Iekšpolitika un drošība

Drošības dienests apstiprina, ka kāds Latgales pašvaldības mērs, kurš pieteicies valsts noslēpuma pieejai, to nav saņēmis. Lēmums par atteikumu piešķirt pieeju pieņemts, ņemot vērā konkrētu apstākļu kopuma novērtējumu, taču pašvaldības mēra vārds netiek publiskots.

Prezidents Edgars Rinkēvičs ir nosūtījis atpakaļ Saeimai likumprojektu par izglītību, kas paredz tālmācības būtisku ierobežošanu. Prezidents uzskata, ka grozījumi nav pietiekami pamatoti, var ierobežot skolēnu iespējas un radīt papildu slogu skolotājiem, lūdzot tos pārskatīt.

Aizsardzība un piemiņa

Dienesta laikā Latvijā, Camp Ādaži, miris viens Kanādas Bruņoto spēku karavīrs. Nāves iemesls nav saistīts ar operācijām, un notiek izmeklēšana. Karavīra identitāte netiek atklāta, līdz tiek informēta ģimene.

Skrundā, Karoga dienā, notika tradicionāls pasākums, kurā tika godināta Kalpaka bataljona karavīru piemiņa, kuri krita Šķēdes kaujā. Pēc oficiālās daļas iedzīvotāji piedalījās izaicinājuma spēlē, kurā jāpārvar 25 dažādi šķēršļi.

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