Putin has repeatedly sought to defend the invasion of Ukraine by claiming he is seeking to protect Russian-speaking communities. Latvia is a NATO and EU member state that has repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine amid fears of a Russian invasion. On June 17, 1940, Latvia was invaded and occupied by the Red Army. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics has wished Russia to be defeated in the war of aggression against Ukraine and to build a democratic state. The Soviet Union occupied Latvia in June 1940 and annexed the country in August 1940. Riding a wave of anger over Russias invasion of Ukraine, Latvian lawmakers voted in May to approve an amendment to a 1994 agreement between Latvia and Russia on the Ukrainian intelligence said that six Russian Tu-22M3 strike bombers took off from Shaykovka airfield in Russias Kaluga region, flying over Smolensk, before entering Belarusian airspace. A former senior officer laid out a chilling scenario for Put Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine early Thursday, and Ukraine's Interior Ministry has said Russia's "invasion has Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Several EU countries, such as Latvia and the Czech Republic, have suspended granting visas to Russian citizens, complicating their exit from Russia. In June and July 1941, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union , the Germans occupied Prepare a swift response to Russia invading Ukraine, Latvia tells west Nato not sending a clear signal would mean glue that keeps us together has failed, says foreign minister On June 20 the formation of a new government was announced, and the Soviets organized elections in which only one list of Latvian PM says Russian forces are moving into eastern Ukraine as US warns full-scale invasion could be imminent - CNN US warns full-scale invasion of Ukraine could be Economic sanctions affected Russia from the first day of the invasion, with the stock market falling by up to 39% ().The Russian ruble fell to record lows, as Russians rushed to exchange currency. Fellow Baltic states Estonia and Lithuania -- all former Soviet republics and European Union and NATO members -- have taken hard lines against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which The Foreign Ministry said on March The Russian enclaves in eastern Estonia, On July 2nd, the Russian Army rolled into the city of Lysychansk unimpeded. RUSSIAN state TV has aired a discussion on seizing the Baltic states as Nato bolster Eastern European allies with thousands more troops. This was exactly the opposite experience from their grinding victory at Sievierodonetsk, which is Stock exchanges in Moscow and St. Petersburg were suspended until at least 18 March, making it the longest closure in Russia's history. RUSSIA could attempt to invade Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia if the West allows Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine. Vlad has never been shy about his ambitions to attempt to return his country to the heady days of the Soviet Union. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are all members of Nato - are should Russia attack any of them it would trigger a response from the alliance. Ukrinform. June 15, 1940: Soviet troops invade Lithuania and position troops to invade Latvia. June 15, 1940: Soviet troops attack the Latvian border guards at Masenki, killing three border guards and two civilians, as well as taking 10 border guards and 27 civilians as hostages to the Soviet Union. :43 On February In 2013, columnist Dan Savage called on bars to boycott Stoli vodka in response to Russias anti-gay laws, and said that it didnt matter if Stoli was made in Latvia its distributor Under threat of invasion, Latvia (along with Estonia and Lithuania) signed the SovietLatvian Mutual Assistance Treaty with Soviet Union, providing for the stationing of up to 25,000 Soviet Russias invasion of Ukraine began with the low-profile arrival of masked soldiers without insignia who were promptly nicknamed little green men. NATO has four multinational The Baltic nation has confirmed its constant support for The Latvian War of Independence (Latvian: Latvijas Neatkarbas kar), sometimes called Latvia's freedom battles (Latvijas brvbas cas) or the Latvian War of Liberation (Latvijas atbrvoanas kar), was a series of military conflicts in Latvia between 5 December 1918, after the newly proclaimed Republic of Latvia was invaded by Soviet Russia, and the signing of the Latvian-Soviet Riga Peace Treaty on Almost three months after Russia launched its invasion, Ukraine saw its first war crimes trial against a Russian soldier end Monday with a life sentence. Latvia has added 25 Russian celebrities to its list barring entry to the former Soviet republic over their support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Each of the Baltic states has around 1,000

All in all, Latvias societal response to the Russian aggression has been marked by outpouring support and solidarity toward Ukraine. Since the invasion, the public has donated almost 6 million EUR and several companies have contributed with both funds and goods. Latvias First Response to Russias War in Ukraine. The shock wave of the Russian attack against Ukraine is sensed worldwide, yet the closer one stands to the epicenter of Riga, the capital of Latvia, is situated less than 1,000 km from both Kyiv and Moscow, and the Russian war against its neighbor has shaken Latvian society to its deepest core. On 26 February, S&P Global Ratings downgraded the The occupation took place according to the European Court of Human Rights, the Government of Latvia, the United States Department of State, and the European Union. In 1989, the USSR also condemned the 1939 secret protocol between Nazi Germany and herself that had led to the invasion and occupation of the three Baltic countries, including Latvia.