West must be mentally, technically prepared for war - Latvia’s ex-president

The Western world needs to be mentally and technically ready for contingencies, war, so as not to start with defeats in the event of a crisis. It is especially critical that the younger population achieves such readiness.

This opinion was expressed by former President of Latvia, Raimonds Vejonis, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform.

"In Western nations, which have not seen war since Second World War, people are used to a quiet life and comfort. B and large, they are still not ready for anything extreme, for things like war. It is necessary to break such moods. It is necessary to prepare people for contingencies while they still got time, so that in the event of a crisis they don't start off with defeats," Vejonis said.

According to the ex-president, it is important that democracies "from the first day stand ready for resistance and strive for victory." In turn, comprehensive readiness is required to this end, both technical and mental. "Mental readiness is no less important than technical readiness. And it is very important that all this is achieved not only by mature people, but also by youths," the Latvian ex-president emphasized.

Noting the instability and fragility of the modern world, he added that the increase in defense costs is inevitable so the current figures of 3-3.4% of GDP will increase. "Of course, we need to invest in boosting defense capabilities. But one must understand that there is a certain limit to how much the government can afford such expenses at the moment. That is why economic development is so important," Vejonis concluded.

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

As reported, by the end of the current year, Latvia's defense spending will reach 3.2% of the gross domestic product.