Latvia's foreign minister, Baiba Braze, said the United States has a "really invested interest" in maintaining a military presence in Europe, remarks she made while in Ankara, Turkey, ahead of a NATO summit.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV before the summit, Braze said the U.S. does not simply want to withdraw forces from the continent. Her comments came as Washington conducts a six-month review of troop deployments in Europe announced by the U.S. government.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on European countries to assume greater responsibility for their own defense, a theme that underpins the review. NATO members along the alliance's eastern flank - including the Baltic states and Poland - are watching the review closely because they face particular exposure to the possible consequences of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
On the subject of the war, Braze said Ukraine "has created such pressure in Russia that it will have to compromise," framing the conflict as a continuing source of strategic strain on Moscow as the invasion proceeds into its fifth year without resolution.
NATO leaders met in Ankara to address a range of alliance priorities, including commitments to increases in defense spending and the evolving partnership between the United States and European members within the 32-member transatlantic military alliance.
Braze noted that NATO reached agreement swiftly on its joint summit statement, which addresses stepped-up defense spending commitments in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Her remarks reflect Baltic concerns about the trajectory of U.S. policy and the implications of Washington's internal review for the security posture along NATO's eastern edge.
The U.S. review of troop presence in Europe remains ongoing, and NATO members are awaiting its conclusions while coordinating their positions at the summit in Ankara.
Summary: Latvia's foreign minister said the United States has a strong interest in keeping troops in Europe as NATO members await the results of a six-month U.S. review; NATO leaders met in Ankara to discuss defense spending and transatlantic cooperation.
- Quote: Baiba Braze described the U.S. position as a "really invested interest" in maintaining its European military presence.
- Review: The United States announced a six-month review of its troop deployments in Europe.
- Eastern flank concerns: Baltic states and Poland are closely monitoring the review because of their exposure to potential consequences from Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.