Juris Ulmanis, Dr. Sc. Admin., has a career spanning business management and marketing in industry and academia. Having volunteered in Ukraine since 2015, he is a visiting professor at a number of universities, an officer in the Latvian National Guard, and author of four books. Ulmanis, 63, is also a renowned mountaineer and adventurer, has crossed Greenland on skis, and climbed the Seven Summits—the highest mountain on each continent.
It is said that if you have ever heard the voice of the mountains, you will never forget it. What voice did you hear in Ukraine?
I had already heard the voice of Ukraine when Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and pro-Russian separatist forces took control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine (the Donbas). Together with a journalist friend of mine, we began to travel to Ukraine in 2015 to bring ‘human aid’ from Latvia to widows and children of soldiers who had died defending the Donbas. We organized summer trips to Latvia for the children and mothers, and also invited the experienced, combat-ridden soldiers to meet our soldiers in Latvia.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 23, 2022, the voice in my heart said: “I must help the Ukrainians fight against our common enemy!” We Latvians know very well—and have experienced first-hand—this evil empire. Latvia was occupied from 1940-1990. During this time, thousands and thousands of Latvians were arrested, murdered, or shipped to Siberia—most never to return. My own grandfather, an officer in the Latvian Army, was deported to Siberia. I have read some of his letters that mysteriously made it through the censorship apparatus, and they speak of enormous suffering, hardship, and pain.
Was it that call and your own story that led you to become a volunteer?
Yes. When the full-scale war began, I immediately applied to the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, not once, but twice. Because of my lack of combat experience, they did not accept me. Then I joined a group of Latvians who were already fighting in Ukraine and had my first initiation and taste of what war really was. I also experienced the lack of military equipment and pretty soon concluded that because I did not speak the language and Ukraine had enough soldiers, my real added-value could be to acquire the much-needed military equipment—jeeps, drones, night vision equipment, uniforms, generators, and the like—and bring it to the soldiers on the front lines. The other thing that I felt was very important was to tell the stories and explain to the West what was really happening in Ukraine.
So, I began fundraising and have orchestrated and personally consistently delivered military equipment to the front lines since the very beginning of the war. And here I must say thank you, thank you, thank you to all the wonderful people who have supported and helped me in our cooperative effort to help Ukraine win the war. The work that is being done has saved countless Ukrainian defenders’ lives!
Your book is entitled When War Is Personal. Why this title?
I think that many people view the war in quite an abstract manner, and I cannot blame them for it. Their perception comes from what they see and read in the media and on the internet. People get used to seeing scenes of corpses and invalids, blasted apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, and churches. Making sense of facts and raw numbers—such as 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed, with 100,000 injured, or 20,000 civilians, including 500 children murdered, the abduction and kidnapping of children and taking them to Russia, or raping and torturing innocent people—is information that many people would rather ignore. It is certainly not easy and pleasant to understand.
But, when you have seen all this first-hand, and when every time that you go to bring equipment to the front, you find out that one of your friends has been killed, then for me this war becomes very, very personal. You know their wives; you know their children. Everyone’s life has been changed in a matter of seconds by another Russian atrocity. I have dedicated this book to the five friends of mine who have died in the war. I describe what I have personally seen and felt being in the war. I write about children, my soldier friends, and where the donations that I have received have gone to on the front—how they have saved lives. The initial version of the book is in Latvian, and Ukrainian and English versions are on their way. All the proceeds from the book will go to helping the defenders of Ukraine.
I have begun a book tour, traveling throughout Latvia to schools and libraries, to talk about the war and climbing mountains. I think it is important for children and young people to see, hear, and ‘touch’ one who has been there, and for them to ask questions. That is very important! In all of this, I even recommend people to drive out to Kyiv and back for a long weekend. During these three days, one will get a sense of what the war feels like—of sitting on the Polish-Ukraine border, seeing the devastation on the sides of Ukrainian roads, highways, and vast grain and sunflower fields, talking to people in the gas stations and eateries, hearing the sounds of an air raid, and perhaps even being witness to a drone or missile attack. I think this is a good way to become truly empathetic to the brave Ukrainian people and one step closer to understanding the true wickedness of Russia. My wish is for more people to consider this war ‘personal.’
You are a member of the National Guard. How important is it for Latvia, and really for any country, that its citizens know how to defend themselves?
For Latvia, and the other two Baltic States of Lithuania and Estonia, it is extremely important. We share the border with a dangerous, unpredictable adversary with a population of 143 million. The Russian government has no regard for its citizen’s lives. We can see this in the war in Ukraine. They send unprepared men to their own deaths in so-called ‘meat waves’ as a tactic to try to deplete Ukrainian military equipment and mark their positions. In contrast, the three Baltic nations have a combined population of approximately six million citizens, and every human life is considered dear and precious.
Defense is a top priority for all three Baltic nations, each having its own army and constantly improving military skills individually and together. Being active in the National Guard is both an honor and a responsibility. If we want to remain free and independent, with a neighbor such as Russia, it is my— and our—job to be prepared to defend ourselves. We are active members of NATO, the most powerful military alliance in the world, and we are very proud of that. The Baltic states play a crucial role in protecting NATO’s eastern flank, and all three allocate more than 2% of their GDP towards defense spending. By the way, here in Latvia, we have on the ground what is called the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group, consisting of personnel from ten countries, including Spanish soldiers. I would like to thank you for that! It represents a significant commitment by your country and our other allies in preserving our Western values and common defense. It is also a tangible reminder to Russia that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all.
Before the war, 31% of Latvians were willing to defend their country and 55% were willing to support the army; now only 13% would take up arms. Why this change? What is wrong with many European societies that so many people are disengaged from their country?
Trust is an essential ingredient between citizens and their governments. According to a Eurobarometer survey done last winter, 61% of Latvians did not trust the government. I would venture to say that since the recent dormancy and changes in the Latvian government, this number is currently much higher. Economically, people are having a very difficult time in making ends meet, and the perception from the public is that the government does not care and is not willing or capable of improving the welfare of its citizens. And, by the way, distrusting the government is a big internal security issue. How will citizens respond in times of crisis? Will they listen to the government? I don’t know how it is in other European countries, but I believe that in Latvia many people feel disconnected and disrespected and have lost faith in their politicians. However, since the full-scale war began in Ukraine, there has been a surge in applications to join the army and volunteer for the National Guard. That is the good news.
Don’t you think there is a lot of naivety in Western Europe about Russia’s policy towards its neighbours?
When Russia invaded and occupied 20% of Georgia in 2008 and invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014, Western Europe stood by and watched. The Baltic States made lots of noise about both of these occurrences, because we know Russia and their imperialistic mentality. For years, Western Europe was oblivious to the disinformation campaigns and ‘bought’ politicians that Russia was managing and controlling. Fortunately, now Western Europe has woken up. I don’t know what happened internally, but it is good to see Germany finally delivering heavy weapons. The Netherlands, which I think had a favorable attitude toward Russia, rallied with the downing of MH17 in 2014. Together with Denmark, they will soon be delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Say what you want about Boris Johnson, but I think he is a wonderful ‘cheerleader’ and supporter of Ukraine—urging the UK and other nations not to ‘drag their feet’ on weapons and ammunition. I believe that Poland is in a category of its own, providing huge military, humanitarian, and diplomatic support to Ukraine. As a percentage of GDP, the Baltics are the biggest providers of military aid as well as in welcoming Ukrainian refugees as a percentage of population. In other words, most European countries now are contributing and doing their share. I believe that the war has turned Europe’s naivety into a unified structure of immense cooperation and ironically has strengthened Europe. Of course, we all need to support Ukraine with more and much faster!
In May, you climbed Everest with the Ukrainian flag, but I think you will soon return to the mountain.
I am trying to do everything that I can to help Ukraine win the war. Being an amateur mountain climber, I tried to climb Mount Everest in 2021. This was during COVID and I did not make it to the top, and I said to myself, “Fine. It was not meant to be.” As I am always thinking about Ukraine, this past autumn another voice said to me: “Bring the flag of Ukraine to the top of the world!” And I did. I brought up two Ukrainian flags. Both were given to me during my last visit to Ukraine, in the winter of 2022, by one of the sons of the honorary counsel of Latvia in Sloviansk, whose three brothers had died in the war. My dream is to present one of the flags to President Zelensky from the people of Latvia. Now the mountain that we all must climb is to help Ukraine become victorious!
