On Wednesday (17 June 2026), Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs of Latvia to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. They discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara and NATO's strong deterrence and defence.
This month, French jets deployed for NATO Baltic Air Policing intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Latvia's airspace. "Such drone incidents on NATO's eastern flank show Russia's dangerous and reckless actions," said Mr. Rutte, "but it also shows once again NATO's determination and ability to deter and defend. No Ally stands alone in NATO."
The Secretary General praised Latvia for being a staunch supporter of Ukraine, including through the International Drone Capability Coalition. He explained that Latvia leads by example on defence investment, with core defence spending due to reach almost 5% of GDP this year. "Delivering increased defence investment, more defence production, and of course, our strong support for Ukraine. Latvia is already showing how it's done," said Mr. Rutte, noting that these are the priorities for the NATO Summit in Ankara next month.
