Latvian presidency website no longer available in Russian

By Ceyhun Alizade

ANKARA (AA) - The website of the Latvian Presidency stopped its Russian language service on Thursday in a show of support for Ukraine, according to the Latvian news portal DELFI.

All information on the official internet portal of www.president.lv will now be provided "only in Latvian and English," said Justine Deichmane, head of the media center at the State Chancellery.

According to Deichmane, the decision to provide information to an international audience exclusively in English was made due to the fact that "the issue of public administration communication in Russian has become very sensitive" due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Latvian President Egils Levits called for the isolation of the Russian-speaking residents of the Baltic country, who oppose the political course of the state on the Russia-Ukraine war.

In recent weeks, officials from countries including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Denmark, Norway, Poland, and Lithuania (most bordering Russia) have come out in support of the idea of an EU-wide tourist visa ban for all Russians.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.