Latvia bans Russian and Belarusian books, goods

Latvia has banned imports of books, newspapers and printed products from Russia and Belarus, citing disinformation and war propaganda, its foreign ministry said.

The ban took effect on September 1 and also covers other consumer goods, including clothes, toys and sports equipment. The ministry said the measure was intended to protect Latvia's security interests and reduce economic ties with Russia and Belarus, which it said continue to wage and support the war against Ukraine.

The Latvian government said the move was aimed at strengthening society's resilience and reducing weaknesses in the information space. The ban is described as the first of its kind imposed on Russian consumer goods in Europe.

Latvia's transport ministry has also proposed changing the country's transport law to ban regular and irregular passenger buses from Latvia to Russia and Belarus, as well as transit through Latvian territory to the two countries. The ministry said it would keep assessing security, economic and international obligations while seeking a coordinated Baltic and European Union solution.

Latvia is a NATO and European Union member, an ally of Ukraine and borders both Russia and Belarus. Riga says it has faced hybrid attacks from Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including cyberattacks, drone incursions and disinformation.

The foreign ministry said overall imports from Russia and Belarus have fallen by about 91 percent since the start of the war, but that books and printed materials remained one of the largest remaining consumer-goods import categories from Russia.

Latvia has a large Russian-speaking minority, and about a quarter of its population are ethnic Russians, according to official statistics. Riga has previously removed VAT incentives for domestic Russian-language publishing and moved to reduce Russian-language use in education, citing the need to counter Moscow's interference and improve integration.

Russia announced plans in May to take the Baltic states to the International Court of Justice over alleged rights violations against Russian speakers. The Baltic states dispute those claims and accuse Moscow of using Russian ethnic minorities to inflame tensions.