Latvian PM Urges More NATO Troops in Baltics to Bolster Eastern Flank Security

Q: As Latvia commits 5% of its GDP to defense, will other NATO allies agree to this new spending benchmark at the upcoming Ankara summit?

Yes — but not as a new decision in Ankara. NATO allies already agreed at the 2025 Hague summit to move to a 5% of GDP benchmark by 2035, so the Ankara summit is expected to focus on implementation, progress reviews and burden-sharing rather than fresh approval of the target itself. Latvia’s push matters because it is among the alliance’s highest spenders and sits on NATO’s most exposed eastern flank. Its call for more troops and stronger forward presence is backed by Baltic and Nordic intelligence warnings that Russia could pose a broader military threat to NATO within a few years if the war in Ukraine de-escalates. That gives political weight to Riga’s argument that spending must translate into real deterrence. The harder question is not whether allies will endorse the benchmark — they already have — but whether they will meet it on schedule. The 5% formula is split into at least 3.5% for core defense and up to 1.5% for resilience, infrastructure, cyber and industrial capacity. Some frontline states such as Latvia, Poland and Lithuania are already moving fastest, while others face budget and political constraints at home. So the likely Ankara outcome is unity on the existing pledge, paired with pressure for clearer national plans, faster procurement and more deployable forces on NATO’s eastern flank.

3 articles · Updated · Devdiscourse · Jun 17

Andris Kulbergs said Wednesday that NATO should station more forces across the Baltic states, arguing the region needs a stronger allied military presence.
At a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Latvian prime minister said the buildup should extend beyond Latvia to the Baltics and the wider eastern flank.
Kulbergs framed the call as a security measure, saying more "boots on the ground" are a necessary part of strengthening regional defense.