RIGA – Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of Latvia’s Saeima, told visiting U.S. congressional advisers at the parliament on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, that the presence of U.S. troops in the Baltic Sea region is an excellent deterrent against Russia.
She said decisions taken in Washington directly affect security on NATO’s northeastern flank and that Latvia stands ready to brief U.S. lawmakers and the administration on regional developments and on the country’s contributions to the alliance, according to the Saeima Press Service.
Latvia outlines priorities to visiting U.S. congressional advisers
In a meeting at the Saeima in Riga, officials discussed cooperation across the economy, security, and defense, underscoring Latvia’s role as both a frontline NATO state and a policy partner for the United States. Key points presented by Latvian officials included:
– Continued cooperation with the United States and stable support for strengthening Baltic security are important to Latvia and seen as central to NATO’s overall deterrence posture in the region.
– U.S. congressional and executive decisions have a direct impact on the region’s security situation; Latvia is prepared to share information on security developments, including along NATO’s eastern border, and on its NATO contributions.
– Gratitude for the U.S. Congress-developed Baltic Security Initiative, which provides financial and practical military support to the Baltic states and is framed in Riga as a long-term tool for capability development rather than ad hoc assistance.
– Recently adopted amendments to Latvia’s National Defense Financing Law set defense funding at a minimum of 5 percent of gross domestic product, placing Latvia among the alliance’s highest spenders relative to economic size.
– Construction of the Selija military training grounds was highlighted as a new venue that opens opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the defense sector, by hosting joint exercises and improving readiness for both Latvian and allied forces.
– In the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, it is important to continue restricting Russia to limit its ability to finance the war, including through coordinated sanctions, export controls, and enforcement measures with EU and U.S. partners.
Latvian officials presented the visit as part of an ongoing dialogue with U.S. institutions, stressing that regular staff-level exchanges help translate high-level political commitments into concrete budget, basing, and training decisions.
Why the message to Washington matters for the Baltics
Latvia’s parliament is responsible for national legislation and oversight, including defense funding, host-nation arrangements for allied forces, and overall security policy. The Deputy Speaker’s emphasis on allied presence reflects Latvia’s longstanding view that visible U.S. and NATO forces in the region contribute to deterrence not only militarily but also politically, by signaling sustained allied commitment.
The meeting linked that posture with ongoing U.S.-Baltic cooperation instruments, including a U.S. congressional initiative that supports training, equipment, and infrastructure for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. By addressing advisers who help shape appropriations, authorizations, and oversight on Capitol Hill, Latvian lawmakers sought to underline how decisions made in Washington on troop rotations, funding lines, and security assistance are directly felt on NATO’s northeastern flank.
Defense spending and training infrastructure
Latvia’s move to set defense outlays at no less than 5 percent of GDP signals a policy choice to accelerate force development, invest in capabilities such as air defense and logistics, and strengthen host-nation capacity to receive and support allied troops. By embedding this commitment in law rather than in a one-off budget decision, the Saeima aims to provide predictability for both domestic planners and international partners.
Officials pointed to the Selija training grounds as a practical project intended to expand training options for national forces and allied partners, allowing for larger and more complex exercises on Latvian territory. Riga presents Selija as part of a broader effort to ensure that U.S. and NATO units deployed to the region can train in conditions that mirror potential operational scenarios.
The Saeima Press Service said visits by U.S. congressional advisers to the Baltic states have taken place regularly since 2013. Latvian officials argue that this continuity of engagement – through both high-level delegations and working-level staff visits – has helped lock in bipartisan U.S. support for Baltic security at a time of heightened tension along NATO’s eastern borders.
