Starting in June, around 300 Polish soldiers will be stationed in Latvia, announced Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Thursday during a visit to the Latvian military base in Ādaži. He also stated that Poland and Latvia plan to make joint investments in the defense industry, and emphasized the need for NATO cooperation in the Baltic region.
Bez solidarności i współpracy nie ma skutecznej walki z zagrożeniami dla bezpieczeństwa. Podjąłem decyzje o zwiększeniu naszego kontyngentu na Łotwie. Do stacjonującego tu #WojskoPolskie, już w czerwcu dołączą żołnierze wojsk chemicznych. To dobra wiadomość dla 🇵🇱, 🇱🇻 i NATO.… pic.twitter.com/xYETmCeXHC
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) April 17, 2025
Kosiniak-Kamysz visited troops from the Polish Military Contingent in Ādaži, where he also met with Latvia’s Minister of Defence, Andris Sprūds. He declared, “We will fulfill all our allied commitments to our friends, our brothers.”
“There will be more of us here starting in June—additional troops will arrive as part of the operation. At that point, there will be about 300 Polish soldiers stationed here. But something unique is coming—not just more troops and officers, but also soldiers with specialized capabilities. These include chemical units, specifically a chemical regiment,” said the Defence Minister.
Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that “Poland and Latvia are examples of countries most actively increasing defense spending.” He noted that both countries are seeking greater European funding for this purpose. He mentioned projects such as the Eastern Shield, adding, “We are also ready to jointly secure funding and invest together in the defense industry.”
“Latvia leads the drone capability coalition, while Poland leads the armored vehicle capability coalition, both aimed at supporting Ukraine. We will continue to develop these capabilities. Very soon, at the invitation of Minister Sprūds, a meeting of the drone coalition will take place, where we will also contribute and remain actively engaged. I would like these capabilities to become a symbol of the European Union’s actions—not only NATO’s—when it comes to investing in new technologies,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that “the more spending within the European Union, the greater the capabilities within NATO.” He also pointed to the challenges related to joint operations in the Baltic Sea region.
“This includes protecting critical infrastructure and operations in the Baltic. The Baltic Sea is NATO’s internal sea. We have established the Baltic Guard mission, which must be further developed, and Poland is contributing to it. We also want to see a stronger presence from our allies who are not Baltic Sea nations, because today, this region is crucial for the North Atlantic Alliance,” the minister stated.
On Wednesday, the Latvian parliament voted to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines. Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that this was a “joint decision by the Baltic states, Poland, and Finland in response to current threats.”
Latvia’s Defence Minister Andris Sprūds expressed his gratitude for the cooperation and the presence of Polish troops in Latvia. “An even greater number of Polish soldiers highlights our strategic partnership and the strong relationship we share,” he said.
“Thank you very much for your leadership and for enabling us to strengthen our partnership and NATO’s military presence in the East, on Latvian soil,” added Sprūds.
During the visit, the Polish and Latvian defence ministers jointly presented awards to soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent.