Latvia’s president asks opposition leader to form new governmentform new government
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics asked opposition lawmaker Andris Kulbergs to form a new government in Riga on May 16, 2026, after Prime Minister Evika Silina stepped down.
The shake-up followed a cabinet dispute over drone incidents linked to the war in Ukraine, which has also unsettled NATO’s eastern flank. It matters because Latvia is a frontline NATO state, and any political instability there can affect alliance responses to spillover from the conflict next door.
Latvian government
Supporters of the transition say a new cabinet is needed to restore stability after the resignation. They present the move as a normal constitutional step that keeps government functioning while security concerns are addressed.
Regional security view
Analysts see the episode as part of wider pressure on NATO states bordering Russia and Belarus. They note that even stray drones can trigger political fallout when the war in Ukraine reaches allied territory.
- Latvia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
- Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states.
- The Baltic region has been a key transit route between Western Europe and Russia for centuries.
Russia-Ukraine War
Russia and Ukraine are locked in an retaliatory long-range drone and missile war that now strikes deep into both countries, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Crimea, and major Ukrainian cities like Kyiv and Dnipro. Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on June 26, striking 12 Russian regions and hitting key energy targets, while Russia continues massive retaliatory bombardments that kill civilians and destroy infrastructure.
26 June, 09:41 AM
Ukraine unleashes massive drone bombardment on 12 Russian regions24 June, 10:31 AM
Ukrainian drones knock out power in Russian-held Sevastopol22 June, 03:20 PM
Ukraine strikes Russian missile electronics plant in Voronezh
