Latvia's president reacts to Putin's threat
Putin expresses concern about the alleged poor treatment of Russians in Latvia and indirectly threatens the government in Riga. Latvian President Rinkevics is not upset by the comments. He speaks of a "policy of intimidation" and "Russian propaganda".
Latvia's President Edgars Rinkevics has reacted unimpressed to Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin, who criticized the EU country's treatment of part of its Russian population in threatening terms. "This is a policy of intimidation", Rinkevics told the newspaper "Neatkariga Rita Avize". "It is a common narrative of Russian propaganda in recent times that all their nationals or those who belong to the 'Russian world' are being brutally mistreated. In fact, it is an attempt to conceal all the atrocities that Russia is committing in Ukraine."
On Monday, Putin accused Latvia of "pig-like" treatment of the Russian minority and announced that Moscow would shape its relationship accordingly. "I do not believe that happiness will come to those who pursue such a policy," Putin said in the Kremlin-controlled Russian Human Rights Council. Those who treat parts of their population in this way should not be surprised if this turns against them.
Latvia changes immigration law
The background to this is Latvia's changes to its immigration law. In Russia's Baltic neighbor, the minority of Russian origin makes up around a quarter of the 1.9 million inhabitants: mostly people who immigrated during the Soviet era and their descendants. Many of them are not Latvian citizens, but so-called non-citizens, while others have a Russian passport.
In response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the parliament in Riga decided that Russian citizens would have to apply for permanent residence status and prove that they have a working knowledge of Latvian. A good 20,000 people are affected. Those who failed the test on September 1 could apply for a two-year residence permit and repeat the test. All those who did not take the test received a letter asking them to leave the country.
Putin expressed his understanding on Monday that every country requires its inhabitants to have a basic knowledge of the culture and language. However, he said that the status of non-citizens was a legal aberration. Moscow would shape its relations with countries that discriminate against Russians accordingly. The Kremlin has also justified the war against Ukraine with the alleged oppression of the Russian-speaking population in the neighboring country, among other things.
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In response to these criticisms, Latvia's President Edgars Rinkevics stressed that Putin's accusations of mistreatment towards the Russian minority in Latvia are part of a "policy of intimidation" and "Russian propaganda." Additionally, as tensions continue between Russia and Latvia, Putin warned that Moscow would adjust its relationship with Latvia based on its treatment of Russians.
Source: www.ntv.de
