Latvian authorities removed a member of parliament after he addressed the chamber in Russian, an act that violated the country's language regulations.
The lawmaker, Aleksey Roslikov, faced expulsion from the legislature and was later charged under criminal statutes for his conduct.
Roslikov’s remarks condemned what he described as the systematic marginalization of Russian‑speaking residents in Latvia.
The Russian government responded by characterizing Riga’s language policies as blatant discrimination against its ethnic minority.
Officials in Moscow further asserted that the Baltic states are exploiting a perceived Russian threat to justify heightened militarization.
According to the Russian statement, these actions also aim to dismantle cultural and economic ties between the Baltic region and Russian communities.
