Latvia should not have refused dialogue with Russia, it needs to be resumed, stated ex-Foreign Minister of Latvia Janis Jurkans.
Latvia is one of the EU countries that has actively advocated the imposition of sanctions against the Russian Federation after the reunification of Crimea with Russia. Earlier, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid invited Russian leader Vladimir Putin to visit the Baltic Republic.
“As long as Egils Levits is the president of Latvia, it is unlikely that he will meet with Vladimir Putin. So we are unlikely to follow Estonia’s example. I believe that Latvia should not refuse to dialogue with Russia, it needs to be resumed”, – told Jurkans.
Relations between Russia and the West worsened due to the return of Crimea to the Russian Federation and the situation in Ukraine. Western countries have imposed a number of sanctions against Russia, Moscow has taken retaliatory measures. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is absurd to link Western sanctions with the implementation of the Minsk agreements, since Russia is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict and the subject of settlement agreements. Russia has also repeatedly stated that speaking with it in the language of sanctions is counterproductive.