Valdis Zatlers: Global crises cannot be resolved by force alone

Modern global crises are increasingly difficult to resolve through the use of force, as military power is no longer the only factor determining the outcome of conflicts, former President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers (2007–2011) said on the sidelines of the 13th Global Baku Forum.

According to Report, he said it is much easier to create a crisis than to resolve one, and this represents one of the main challenges of modern politics.

"We must learn from our own mistakes and from the mistakes of others - this is one of the key problems of today," he noted.

In his view, the experience of the past decade has shown that many political issues cannot be solved solely through the use of force.

"It is not only about military power, but also about the ability to create an asymmetric balance. Today we live in conditions of such a balance, where even small armies and states can resist larger ones. At the same time, the historical characteristics of each nation must be taken into account," Zatlers added.