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On Wednesday, 27 May 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, participated in the opening of the international Drone Summit, emphasising that Russia's war against Ukraine has significantly changed perceptions of the nature of modern warfare and confirmed the crucial importance of technology, innovation and unmanned systems for European security.
Addressing allies, military experts, and industry representatives, the Foreign Minister emphasised that NATO and European countries must draw on Ukraine’s battlefield experience and the rapid pace of technological development to strengthen their defence capabilities.
“We must act, not just speak – we must use Ukraine’s battlefield experience and integrate it into our defence industry,” Baiba Braže stated.
The Minister noted that the security environment in Europe is becoming increasingly complex. The rising number of unmanned aerial vehicle incidents near Latvia’s eastern border and in Baltic airspace underscores the need to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and air defence capabilities on its eastern flank, including through the development of new drone and anti-drone technologies. She emphasised that NATO must be able to detect, intercept and collectively respond to low-altitude threats more effectively.
Latvia, together with the United Kingdom, leads the international Drone Coalition, which was established on Latvia’s initiative and brings together more than 20 countries. The coalition’s goal is to provide Ukraine with unmanned systems, develop the Western drone industry and strengthen allied capabilities in this field.
In her address, Baiba Braže stressed that technology has become a new front in geopolitical competition, and Latvia is purposefully building a defence innovation ecosystem that connects military training grounds, universities and industry.
Latvia already offers allies a unique environment for testing and developing new technologies. The Sēlija military training ground facilitates drone training and testing, allowing for the evaluation of unmanned systems, electronic warfare solutions, and anti-drone technologies under real-world conditions. This infrastructure is regularly utilised by allies and member states of the Drone Coalition.
The Drone Summit in Riga brings together government representatives, military experts, researchers and entrepreneurs from several countries to discuss defence innovations, the development of unmanned systems and the use of Ukraine’s experience to strengthen European and NATO security.
