Rinkevics speaks out against the Kremlin chief. Latvian president reacts to Putin’s threat
December 6, 2023, 11:45 pm Listen to the article
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Putin is concerned about the alleged poor treatment of Russians in Latvia and is indirectly threatening the government in Riga. The statements by Latvian President Rinkevic do not disturb him. He talks about “politics of intimidation” and “Russian propaganda”.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics reacted unimpressed to Russian head of state Vladimir Putin, who used threatening words to criticize the EU country’s treatment of part of its Russian population. “This is a policy of intimidation,” Rinkevics told Neatkariga newspaper Rita Avize. “It is a common narrative in Russian propaganda lately that all of its citizens or those who belong to the ‘Russian world’ are being brutalized. In fact, it is an attempt to cover up all the atrocities that Russia has committed in Ukraine.”
On Monday, Putin accused Latvia of treating the Russian minority in a “slutty” way and announced that Moscow would shape its relationship accordingly. “I don’t think luck will come to those who follow such policies,” Putin told the Kremlin-controlled Russian Human Rights Council. Anyone who treats parts of their population this way will not be surprised if it turns against them.
Latvia amends immigration law
The backdrop is Latvia’s changes to its immigration law. In Russia’s neighboring Baltic state, the minority of Russian origin represents about a quarter of the 1.9 million inhabitants: the majority of people who immigrated during the Soviet era and their descendants. Many of them are not Latvian citizens, but so-called non-citizens, others have a Russian passport.
In response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Riga parliament decided that Russian citizens must apply for permanent residence status and prove that they have daily knowledge of Latvian. Around 20,000 people are affected. Anyone who did not pass the test on September 1st could apply for a two-year residence permit and repeat the test. Those who did not participate in the test received a letter asking to leave the country.
Putin on Monday expressed his understanding that every country requires its residents to have a basic knowledge of the culture and language. But the noncitizen status is a legal aberration, he said. Moscow will shape its relationship accordingly with states that discriminate against Russians. The Kremlin also justified the war against Ukraine, among other things, with the alleged oppression of the Russian-speaking population in the neighboring country.