Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed concern about the readiness of Europe and NATO to face modern threats in air warfare during an interview with The Guardian. He stated that current approaches to preparedness may become outdated by the middle of next year.
"Air defense, counter-drone, and ballistic missile defense are facing serious issues. And let's be honest: this concerns Ukraine, all of Europe, and NATO," Rinkēvičs noted.
He emphasized that if Russia decides to launch several missiles at NATO territory, it would pose a significant challenge for many countries that would be difficult to handle. A separate issue is the lack of interceptors for air defense systems like Patriot.
Rinkēvičs also believes that Europe needs to adapt more quickly to new threats, as drone technologies in Ukraine are evolving rapidly, and what works today may soon prove insufficient.
However, the Latvian president does not expect a conventional military invasion of NATO countries by Russia, but he urges preparedness for other scenarios, including sabotage, cyberattacks, as well as incidents involving drones and missiles.