RIGA - The Belarusian people are oppressed and remain disaffected with the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko, Beate Livdanska, researcher at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LAI) and guest lecturer at Riga Stradins University, told LETA.

Demonstrators in Warsaw, Riga, Prague, and Vilnius decried the likely January 26 voting victory of Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenko. The European Parliament has called the election a sham.

Hundreds of Swedish troops arrived in Latvia on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade along NATO's eastern flank, a mission Sweden is calling its most significant operation so far as a member of the Western defense alliance.

Head of the European Parliament delegation on Belarus Malgorzata Gosiewska urged to be more decisive in relation to the regime: - We should speak to the regime in the language of ultimatums. An end to half-measures. No more compromises.

Sweden’s armed forces said the mission of 550 troops will contribute to the alliance’s deterrence and defense efforts, and ensure stability in the region, and that it “marks Sweden’s largest commitment yet since joining NATO.

Latvia borders Russia to its east and Russia ally Belarus to its southeast ... The battalion is stationed outside the town of Adazi, near Riga. Swedish soldiers disembarked in the port of Riga ...

Hundreds of Swedish troops arrived in Latvia on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade along NATO’s eastern flank, a mission Sweden is calling its most significant operation so far as a member of the Western defense alliance.

Swedish soldiers disembarked in the port of Riga, Latvia, on Jan. 18 ... Latvia borders Russia to its east and Russia ally Belarus to its southeast. Tensions are high across Central Europe ...

As a young CIA agent working on cases linked to Russia, Ari Falk is used to dealing in danger but when he is caught up in a cut-throat global conspiracy, the stakes are suddenly higher and more deadly than he could ever have imagined.

Direct challenges to Baltic security include regional aggression waged by Russia and policies of Belarus complementing the aims of Moscow. The conventional warfare in countries across the border from the Eastern Flank of NATO and the EU is aggravated by civilian displacement and migration from Ukraine and the Middle East.

With the gruelling war, an overheating economy, and desperately harsh western sanctions, the focus on Russian nationalism has become critical. In order to maintain support for the “special operation,” and indeed his presidency,

This beautiful country is home to 12,000 rivers and 3,000 lakes, making it one of the most water-rich countries in Europe. Lying on the shores of the Baltic sea, Latvia's rivers stretch an astonishing 23,612 miles. Together with water reservoirs the rivers and lakes cover 3.7% of the country, and only 17 of its rivers are longer than 60 miles.