Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma about bilateral relations, the crisis in Ukraine, and European energy security. The Vice President congratulated Straujuma for her reappointment as Prime Minister and for yesterday’s celebration of Latvia’s Independence Day. The two leaders discussed the crisis in Ukraine, and agreed that the consequences for Russia’s continued violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty would need to be intensified if Russia continued on its current course. In that regard, the Vice President underscored the important role Latvia will play as president of the European Union beginning in January 2015, and also its role in bolstering European energy security.