Latvia’s Security Barometer: 1/2026 (mid-January to mid-April 2026)      

After the spectacular removal of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro in early January, the first quarter of 2026 has been dominated by the US and Israeli attack on Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. Once again this is a mixed blessing for Latvia. While US readiness to use force against an ally of Russia is reassuring, the war is arguably illegal under international law and all sides could be accused of committing war crimes. The NATO Alliance has been placed under additional strain while Russia’s war in Ukraine has been replaced on international front pages. Badly needed air defense and strike missiles are being used up much faster than they can be replaced. The longer-term impact on the global economy will not be clear for some time.  Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones crashed in the Baltic States while heading towards Russian Baltic Sea ports. Russia accused the Baltic States of complicity in Ukrainian attacks. 

Read and download the English language report from Google, ResearchGate or Academia.edu.

Iepazīstieties ar Latvijas drošības barometru 1/2026 latviešu valodā Google, ResearchGate vai Academia.edu. 

Apskats par šo publikāciju portālā LSM.lv.