Russia Threatens Latvia with Retaliation Despite NATO Membership, UN Told

Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations threatened Latvia with retaliation during a UN Security Council session, despite the Baltic nation's NATO membership. Vasily Nebenzia claimed that Ukraine had already deployed drone forces to Latvia, alleging that Russian intelligence services had identified their launch sites. The threat represents a significant escalation in rhetoric against a NATO member state, as Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty considers an attack on one member an attack on all. Latvia, which borders Russia and has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in February 2022, joined NATO in 2004 as part of the alliance's eastward expansion following the collapse of the Soviet Union.