"Russia poses a long-term threat" – how Latvia restricts people with Russian passports

## No signs of change The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia noted in its review that "since the Law came into force, there have been no changes in the foreign policy of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus that would reduce the risks they pose to the national security of Latvia, the region, and the international community." "Russia continues to carry out military aggression against Ukraine and violate fundamental principles of international law, while Belarus continues to provide significant support for the policies and military actions conducted by Russia. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belarus continues to deepen its integration with Russia – including in the military sphere – and conducts hybrid operations directed against Latvia." At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the EU sanctions regimes do not contain a direct prohibition for citizens of Russia and Belarus – as well as for legal entities associated with these countries – on acquiring real estate in EU member states. Based on this, Baiba Braže's agency considers the restrictions established by the law as a necessary additional tool – alongside the sanctions policy – which "helps protect the national security interests of Latvia." ## Strangers walk here, but without weapons For its part, the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia counted 4,231 citizens of Latvia who are also citizens of Russia. There are 562 Latvians with dual citizenship with Belarus. The prohibition on acquiring real estate should not apply to them, as they are, in the understanding of national legislation, "considered solely citizens of Latvia in legal relations with the Republic of Latvia." Against this backdrop, the amendments to the Law on the Circulation of Weapons established by the XIV Saeima stand out, which explicitly prohibit citizens of Latvia from owning weapons if they also hold passports from Russia or Belarus. What will the military say The Ministry of Defense, on the other hand, fears Russians and Belarusians in all forms, as they "could acquire real estate in close proximity to state defense facilities, thereby creating potential threats to national security." The State Security Service optimistically believes in its review that the application of the Law allows achieving the goal formulated in its Article 1, namely, to ensure the protection of the Republic of Latvia as a democratic legal state through state measures that are proportionate and correspond to the principle of self-defending democracy. ## Which passport counts? "At the same time, the State Security Service notes that after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian citizens began actively acquiring citizenship of other countries – a trend that could potentially facilitate circumvention of the restrictions provided for by the law." However, even if Russians or Belarusians obtain a new passport, in the view of the Latvian special service, they "retain the status of citizens of the first of the mentioned states; therefore, in essence, the restrictions established by law also apply to such individuals."