Latvia’s president warns that Europe isna up tae date wi drone and aerial warfare in Ukraine

The president o Latvia has wairned that Europe isna keepin up wi developments in drone and aerial warfare in Ukraine, and that maist kintras in Nato cudna fend aff an attack by Russian missiles gin the conflict were tae rax oot faur.

The remarks cam durin a Guardian interview in Washington DC, in whilk Edgars Rinkēvičs said that the technological shifts in drone warfare in Ukraine are movin at ‘lichtnin speed’ and that current efforts tae get ready for an aerial war cud be auld-farrant by the middle o next year.

‘Whit we see is that air defence, drone defence, and anti-ballistic defence has serious problems,’ he said. ‘And let us be honest. Ukraine has it. The hale o Europe and Nato has it.’

‘Because gin Russia decides tae use a couple o missiles in that territory, I think that wad be a serious challenge the day for mony kintras tae cope wi that,’ he addit.

Ukraine and European allies are noo facin a lang delay in the suppleein o crucial Patriot and ither air-defence missiles. The US has gien near twa-thirds o its stock o critical interceptors in the war in Iran, accordin tae an analysis o a Congressional Budget Office assessment, and it cud tak at least five years tae replenish the gear.

The US has considerit ootsourcin Patriot production tae Ukraine and Europe, but sae faur, nae greement has been made.

‘It is up tae the United States government, it is up tae the company,’ Rinkēvičs said, notin that discussions were still gaun on and allowin for the fashious nature o some technical issues wi licensin. ‘We hae some capacities in Europe, but let us face it: Patriots are still ane o the best, gin no the best, tae tackle this.’

At next week’s United Nations general assembly in New York City, Donald Trump is expectit tae haud meetings wi senior European leaders, and this comes as Nato allies hae rampit up their wairnin aboot the risk o Russia escalatin the war in Ukraine.

Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, wairned in a speech on Thursday that Russia cud launch drone or missile strikes against Nato kintras that support Ukraine in the comin months, in an effort tae test the alliance’s commitment tae collective defence under article 5 o its charter.

Tusk said that Russia wad seek tae ‘weaken Nato’s integrity’ and shaw that ‘article 5 is mair theoretical than practical’, addin that Russia wad seek tae play aff the incidents as accidents.

Speired aboot Tusk’s concerns regardin Russia attackin Ukrainian allies in Europe, Trump said: ‘I think they already hae attackit Ukrainian allies. They hae been attackin Ukrainian allies for aboot five years.’

He then shiftit tae gie his support tae the Polish president, Karol Nawrocki, who is backit by the conservative Law and Justice party, sayin: ‘Ye hae a braw president, he was a big fan o mine … he is daein a fantastic job, and he has it a’ unner control.’

The Baltic nations, whilk are also on Russia’s eastern flank, hae tempered their wairnins, sayin that there was nae sign that Moscow socht tae launch a conventional war tae tak back territory that it ance held unner the Soviet Union.

But Russia wad increase mobilisation in the comin months after local elections, Rinkēvičs said, then use the winter tae ‘push’ in Ukraine, and also tae ‘dae whatever it taks tae dissuade nations that are supportive o Ukraine tae continue’.

Acts o sabotage, cyber-attacks and drone and missile incidents all indicatit that Russia was testin European resolve tae support Ukraine, he said.

‘I wad rule oot a conventional military incursion, but we shud be very vigilant whan it comes tae a’ kinds o ither possibilities,’ he said.

A Nato jet shot doon a Russian drone ower Lithuania on Tuesday. Poland scrambled fighter jets and closed Lublin and Rzeszów-Jasionka airports on Thursday due tae a Russian strike on western Ukraine.

Rinkēvičs also spak o his concern aboot whether European allies were on track tae hit a goal o spendin 5% o GDP on defence, a figure that has become a White House benchmark for the Trump administration’s continued support for Nato.

He also said that discussions ower Europe takin a greater burden for its ain defence were growin ‘mair constructive’, but addit that whan it comes tae ‘real capabilities … ye need time’.

‘Oor message is also tae dae that, we need time,’ he said. ‘It canna happen in a month, or in a year.’