DOMINANT ANGLE
Riga is weighing the Rubio-Lavrov rapprochement in New York through the prism of its own security, more than that of a future summit: the warning from the US Secretary of State about the risk of the war spreading to NATO's eastern flank holds more attention from Latvia than the diplomatic perspective itself.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Rubio met with Sergey Lavrov behind closed doors on Wednesday in New York and stated that both Russia and Ukraine had shown interest in a limited ceasefire on energy and grain
- 02
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Interfax that there are "currently no conditions" for a peace settlement, while reiterating the invitation to Zelensky to come to Moscow
- 03
Rubio warned that the war could spread to other countries through sabotage or incident, citing the example of "a pilot flying in the wrong direction", in a context of repeated violations of NATO airspace
ANALYSIS
Riga, September 24, 2026. The Latvian press is reading the diplomatic gestures surrounding the UN General Assembly in New York through the prism of regional security, more than that of a future summit. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met behind closed doors with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. According to Rubio, Russia and Ukraine have both shown interest in a limited ceasefire, focusing on grain deliveries and energy infrastructure. On the Ukrainian side, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he is ready to stop strikes against Russian energy facilities "if Moscow does the same," specifying that he is unaware of Russia's real position on this point. He expressed gratitude that Washington is transmitting this proposal to the Russians.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tempered the surrounding optimism: "there are currently no conditions" for discussions to move towards a peace settlement, he told the Interfax agency, while reiterating the invitation to Zelensky to come to Moscow, where "the necessary security guarantees" would be assured. Peskov described the idea of an immediate summit meeting as "inopportune" as long as the work at the expert level is not completed.
But it's another aspect of Rubio's remarks that is particularly noteworthy in Riga: his warning about the risk of the Russian war against Ukraine spreading to other countries, through sabotage, cyberattacks, or simple incidents. "A pilot flies in the wrong direction, and suddenly an active combat is engaged," illustrated the US Secretary of State, in direct reference to the repeated violations of NATO airspace on its eastern flank and the drone incidents recorded in recent months. NATO judged in September that Russian actions "continue to test" the Allies' preparedness. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk mentioned, based on intelligence information, a growing threat also targeting countries supporting Kyiv — a concern shared by Latvia, a Russian border state and member of the Alliance. For Riga, the announcement of a Washington-Moscow dialogue, as welcome as it is for energy de-escalation, does not dispel this immediate risk of derailment on the margins of the Alliance.
SOURCES (3)
- JaunsMEDIUM
- “Sarunas karu neapturēs”: Lavrovs paziņo, ka Krievija turpinās karadarbību arī pārrunu laikā
- Kremlis nesaskata iespēju sarunām virzīties uz mieru, taču atkārtoti aicina Zelenski uz Maskavu
- “Pietiek tikai ar pilota kļūdu, un pēkšņi jau notiek asins izliešana”: Rubio brīdina par bīstamu scenāriju Eiropā
- TVNETMEDIUM
- LA.lvMEDIUM
