Rinkevics opposes Kremlin boss
Latvia’s president responds to Putin’s threat
December 6th, 2023, 11:45 p.m
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Putin is concerned about the alleged poor treatment of Russians in Latvia and is indirectly threatening the government in Riga. Latvian President Rinkevic’s statements do not upset him. He speaks of “politics of intimidation” and “Russian propaganda.”
Latvia’s 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 politics of intimidation,” Rinkevics told the newspaper Neatkariga Rita Avize. “It is a common narrative of Russian propaganda of late that all of its nationals or those belonging to the ‘Russian world’ are being brutalized. In fact, it is an attempt to cover up all the atrocities that Russia is committing in the Ukraine commits.”
On Monday, Putin accused Latvia of “swinish” treatment of the Russian minority and announced that Moscow would shape its relationship accordingly. “I don’t think that luck comes to those who pursue such policies,” Putin told the Kremlin-controlled Russian Human Rights Council. Anyone who treats parts of their population in this way need not be surprised if it turns against them.
Latvia changes immigration law
The background is Latvia’s changes to its immigration law. In Russia’s Baltic neighboring state, the minority of Russian origin makes up around 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 parliament in Riga decided that Russian citizens must apply for permanent residence status and prove that they have everyday knowledge of Latvian. A good 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. Anyone who did not take part in the test received a letter asking them to leave the country.
Putin expressed his understanding on Monday that every country requires its residents to have a basic knowledge of culture and language. But the status of non-citizens is a legal aberration, he said. Moscow will shape its relationship accordingly with states that discriminate against Russians. The Kremlin has also justified the war against Ukraine, among other things, with the alleged oppression of the Russian-speaking population in the neighboring country.