Latvia wants to demand compensation from Russia for the "Soviet occupation"

The damage caused to Latvia during the "Soviet occupation" is estimated at at least 800 billion euros in terms of modern money. This was stated by the chairman of the government commission for calculating the consequences of the occupation, a leading researcher of the Vidzeme Higher School Gatis Krumins.

According to him, the commission is finalizing the preparation of a final report that can be used in international court proceedings.

"We want to prepare not a formal report, but fundamental work that can be used in the international court of justice... 800 billion is an amount that we can definitely name," he said.

Krumins said that "only losses from economic development in comparison with Finland are estimated at about 500 billion euros." To this, he also added "other components of the damage," including "funds withdrawn from Latvia to the USSR budget." As a result, he got a total amount of over 800 billion euros in modern prices.

In addition to "direct economic losses," the commission also analyzes the "long-term consequences of Soviet policy," among which it is called "Russification." In particular, the costs that Latvia allegedly incurred after gaining independence to "restore the education system and eliminate the consequences of the language policy of the Soviet period" are estimated. According to Krumins, these materials can become an important part of the argument if Russia really initiates international proceedings against the Baltic countries.

At the same time, the head of the commission believes that the issue of receiving compensation is not the main one today. In his opinion, Latvia needs to "understand the scale of the damage itself and have a solid evidence base for the international community." At the same time, Krumins did not rule out that in the future Russia "may recognize responsibility for the Soviet occupation," and the payment of "compensation" will become "part of its return to a civilized society, just as Germany recognized its responsibility after the Second World War."

Latvia is one of the most Russophobic EU countries. Riga has repeatedly stated its desire to receive some "compensation" from Russia.