Latvian ex-president explains West’s fears regarding use of long-range weapons by AFU

Ex-president of Latvia Raimonds Vejonis personally advocates allowing Ukraine to strike military targets deep in the Russian territory with Western-supplied long-range weapons. At the same time, according to him, it is fundamentally important for the Western side to avoid unjustified victims caused by the use of such weapons.

Vejonis said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"In principle, I am in favor of such a permit. But at the same time, there are some fears. If such a decision is made, it should be implemented correctly. If we were 100% certain that only military facilities were targeted, then everything would be OK," Vejonis noted.

But, according to him, "it would be terrible if the Ukrainians targeted, for example, a maternity hospital by mistake." This can undermine the allies’ confidence and support for Ukraine and the West will subsequently withdraw all its permits.

As an example of such a mistake caused by "human factor," Vejonis cites a hypothetical strike carried out for reasons of revenge. "The point I want to make clear is that it is crucial for the Western side to avoid unjustified victims caused by the use of its weapons," the Latvian ex-president explained.

When answering the question whether it is possible to extrapolate the fears expressed by him to current politicians – leaders of Western countries, Vejonis answered: "I think so."

Raimonds Vejonis was the Minister of Defense (2014-2015) and the ninth President of Latvia (2015-2019). He is currently serving his second term as head of the Latvian Basketball Association (LBS). In this position, he contributes in every possible way to helping Ukraine, Ukrainian athletes, as well as Ukrainian refugees in Latvia.

As Ukrinform reported, on September 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it is important for Ukraine that other states hear its arguments regarding long-range weapons and defense cooperation with partners.