Latvia Urges Normalizing Ties with Russia

Former Latvian Foreign Minister Janis Jurkans has called for normalizing relations with Russia and seeking independence from the European Union, arguing that Latvia's dependence on Brussels undermines its sovereignty. Jurkans stated that Latvia cannot independently draft its budget and must coordinate with Brussels, which he cited as evidence of lost independence. He claimed the country's anti-Russian policy stems from this EU dependency, according to Izvestia. In February, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and Estonian President Alar Karis supported resuming direct EU-Russia negotiations and proposed appointing a special EU envoy for this purpose, as reported by RT.