Latvia Wants Billions to Pay for Its 'Frontline State' Status — Will Europe Agree?

Latvia's demand for massive funding from the EU budget is causing bewilderment and concern in Brussels over a potential wave of countries lining up for handouts. Latvia Wants Money to Maintain a Frontline State Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said Latvia needs €7 billion from the EU's next seven-year budget to cover rising defence spending and the economic consequences of severing ties with Russia. The sum amounts to almost half of Latvia's projected defence expenditure of €15.12 billion. Kulbergs explained the request by saying that Latvia, as a "frontline state,” is effectively paying for "the defence of all Europe” because other countries are farther from the Russian border. According to him, a significant portion of the money would ultimately return to Western economies through weapons purchases from Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.