NATO needs to prepare for the scenario of open confrontation with Russia, said Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs in an interview with DW. The member countries of the alliance must clearly signal to the Kremlin that "if Russia challenges NATO, the bloc's response will be proportional," the politician noted. According to him, the increase in defense spending to 5% of GDP, which the NATO allies previously agreed upon, is already insufficient. Furthermore, the President of Latvia believes that the main problem for many states in the alliance lies more in low actual military capabilities rather than insufficient funding for their own defense. "Money is very important, but it is necessary to have weapons, missiles, and equipment that can be purchased with these budget funds," added the head of Latvia.