Looking at NATO’s military capabilities, Latvian Transport Minister Atis Svinka is pressing for an accelerated construction pace on the multi-billion-dollar Rail Baltica railway project. Speaking to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” Svinka stated, “We need to mobilize all available resources right now and demonstrate that we are making progress”. The politician noted that Latvia has long recognized “Russia as a threat” and added, “We require secure defense corridors, and this includes Rail Baltica as well as our ports”. Furthermore, Svinka advised countries like Germany to increase their defense spending.
Rail Baltica is considered a landmark project. This double-track high-speed line is designed to connect the Baltic region with the central European rail network. Construction, however, is expected to continue until at least 2030. Beyond its general purpose, the rail project has strategic military significance: the line will feature a uniform European gauge, which would allow military equipment, such as tanks, to be rapidly transported from west to east in the event of a Russian attack.
Svinka, who has been the Latvian Transport Minister since 2025, emphasized the necessity of protecting established infrastructure. He called for spending five percent on arms and security, referencing the NATO two-percent spending goal. Speaking to the RND, he concluded, “This is expertise that we can pass on to Europe”.
