Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/latvia-calls-permanent-us-troops-guard-against-russia-threat-2021-11-29/
Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, is planning to arrive in Riga, Latvia’s capital, to hold talks with NATO members and Latvian officials. The talks are to discuss the increasing threat of Russian annexations of parts of Eastern Europe. This comes after Russia moved 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine and Belarus has become increasingly threatening and belligerent in the region. Russian officials have claimed they have no intention of invading Latvia or Poland and that NATO is destabilizing the region by threatening Russia’s sovereignty.
However, NATO and specifically Latvia are extremely worried about Russia making a military offensive and are now preparing. Latvia has requested a permanent U.S military base within its borders and access to its military weapons such as Patriot missiles. Also, NATO troops have done military training in Latvia to deter a Russian-Belarusian invasion of Latvia or Poland.
The US establishing a permanent military base or presence in the region could be a huge signifier to deter Russian expansion westward into neighboring countries. Also, with Joe Biden’s administration taking a harder-line approach to Russia compared to Donald Trump’s administration and Joe Biden serving as vice president during the Russian annexation of Crimea, there is a significant chance of the US military increasing its involvement in the region. However, in the unstable region, it’s unlikely a US military presence will provide security with Belarus antagonizing Poland, internal issues within Ukraine, and Russia threatening Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, and other eastern European countries.
There is a realist and liberal theoretical argument for the United States to establish a military base in Latvia. A realist could argue that the United States establishing a military base will limit the expansion of Russian power, therefore it would be in the United States’ national interest to limit an enemy’s power and its economic expansion by protecting Latvia and other Eastern European countries, especially since these countries have natural resources that help provide to the United States’ economy. A liberal theorist would argue that it’s in the United States’ national interest to protect Latvia since it’s a democratic state and part of NATO. Since the upholding of democratic institutions will establish peace and economic prosperity the United States then should protect Latvia.