The Minister of Defence of Latvia on a Visit

Andris Spruds welcomed by Yuriko Backes. The situation in Ukraine was discussed.

This Friday, the Minister of Defense, Yuriko Backes, received the Latvian Minister of Defense, Andris Spruds, for a working visit in Luxembourg. At the Bourglinster Castle, after being welcomed by an honor guard of the Luxembourg Army, a bilateral working meeting took place. The ministers expressed satisfaction with the good cooperation in the defense sector. For years, the Luxembourg Defense has been providing financial support for military infrastructure projects in Latvia, including the construction of barracks at the Adazi military base, which houses the NATO Forward Land Forces multinational brigade.

In preparation for the NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026, the visit also provided an opportunity to discuss NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, especially on its eastern flank, and the Alliance’s political priorities.

The meeting also served as a review of the evolving geopolitical situation marked by instability, particularly the security situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. In this context, the ministers discussed the military support provided to Ukraine by Luxembourg, the Allies, the EU, and NATO, as well as the progress of the capability coalitions established within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, including the “IT” coalition, coordinated by Estonia and Luxembourg, and the “drones” coalition, coordinated by Latvia, to which Luxembourg contributed 3.4 million euros.

A visit to Betzdorf was then scheduled at the European Satellite Company (SES) and LuxGovSat. In the afternoon, Ministers Spruds and Backes participated in the 208th solemn recruit pledge ceremony at Walferdange Castle.