Commentary
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Wounds That Won’t Heal: Trauma, Power and Politics in Slovakia – COMMENTARY
16 May 2025
A change of attitudes of Russian speakers towards Moscow after aggression on Ukraine is an opportunity for a fresh attempt to integrate them.
On 1 May, Riga’s Esplanade Square was filled with protesters upset at the treatment of the Russian-speaking population by Latvian authorities. Their placards called the actions of Latvian leaders “violations of international law”, “xenophobic” and “revenge”.
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The around a hundred attendees were mainly representatives and supporters of the “Latvian Russian Union” – led by MEP Tatjana Ždanoka. While their numbers were few, the event was a reminder that the situation of Russian speakers in Latvia remains unresolved and has become increasingly complicated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.