EU state considering dismantling rail tracks to Russia – media

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has confirmed the move is being considered as an option to strengthen national defense

Latvia is considering dismantling sections of a key railway track that connects the country with Russia, according to local media reports, citing President Edgars Rinkevics.

The idea has reportedly been floated since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Rinkevics confirmed the plan is being discussed after his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Evika Silina on Wednesday, saying he had tasked the government with preparing an initial assessment by the end of the year.

Rinkevics described the security situation on Latvia’s eastern border as tense and said that dismantling tracks is seen as a way to strengthen national defense.

“We cannot rule out any option for strengthening national defense and security,” he told reporters, as cited by LSM outlet, adding that any decision would need to set the timetable and weigh the socioeconomic consequences.

The president said he planned to hear the armed forces’ opinion on Friday but added that no in-depth discussion or decisions are expected before next year, after a full assessment is made.

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Earlier reports said that Latvian military analysts consider the country’s three main rail lines connecting to Russia – around 1,800km in total – a direct security risk. However, Transport Minister Aitis Svinka warned that dismantling the tracks would halt all freight traffic not only with Russia, but also with Belarus and Central Asian states, reducing cargo volumes, increasing maintenance costs, and causing losses for Latvia’s economy.

Silina has also hesitated over the plan, saying any such decision must be taken jointly with the other Baltic states, as well as Poland and Finland.

Latvia, a former Soviet republic, has long worked to cut cultural ties with Russia alongside its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, a campaign that intensified amid the Ukraine conflict and Western claims that Russia might attack the region. Moscow, which denies any such plans, has accused the Baltic states of “extreme Russophobia” and downgraded diplomatic ties with them in 2023.

Commenting on the plan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mocked Latvian authorities, saying “apparently, they need the sleeping cars for heating,” referring to the energy problems Latvia faced after joining Western sanctions and halting Russian gas imports.