Latvian veterans who fought for Nazi Germany against the Soviets in World War II staged a controversial march through Riga Wednesday to mark a key 1944 battle.

Police said more than 1,000 people paraded through the Latvian capital's Old Town amid a heavy security presence.

Latvia's new prime minister vowed to push ahead with social reforms on Thursday as his center-right coalition won a vote of confidence in parliament.

Former development minister Maris Kucinskis, 54, succeeded as premier Laimdota Straujumaafter, who resigned in December after two years following a power wrangle inside her party. Kucinski will lead the same three-party coalition.

Latvia's Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma announced her resignation on Monday after less than two years in office, saying there was a need for "new ideas" following serious infighting within her center-right party.

"I have informed the president of the government's resignation," Straujuma told reporters.

Russia's Prosecutor General is reviewing the legality of the independence of the three Baltic countries from the Soviet Union, a spokesman said Tuesday.

The move drew a furious reaction from Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite, who said, "No one has the right to threaten" our independence.

Latvia's parliament on Wednesday elected Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis as the Baltic state's new president, giving the 28th member of the European Union a Green party head of state.

"I would like to improve relations with Russia... but while Russian rockets and heavy weapons remain in Ukraine, that's not really possible," the 48-year-old Vejonis said after winning the secret ballot in which 55 out of 100 legislators backed him.

Latvia, current holder of the EU presidency, said Friday it was surprised by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' criticism of European Union sanctions against Russia.

The Latvian prime minister's comments came after left-wing Tsipras met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, and lashed out against what he termed the EU's "vicious cycle of sanctions."

Polish and Latvian officials on Tuesday voiced skepticism over calls for a European Union army to counter a militarily resurgent Russia.

"It's a very risky idea," Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told Poland's private Radio Zet in reaction to Sunday's proposal by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker.

Up to 2,000 Russian soldiers took part in drills in the country's west on Wednesday as Moscow conducted an inspection of its paratrooper units in the latest show of strength likely to alarm its neighbors.

Some 500 units of equipment were also to be included in drills in the western Pskov region which borders EU members Estonia and Latvia, defense ministry spokeswoman Irina Kruglova told AFP.

Russia could inflict the tactics it is accused of using to destabilize Ukraine on Baltic members of NATO, Britain's defense minister warned in comments to British newspapers on Wednesday.

Michael Fallon said that NATO must be prepared for Russian aggression in any form, and warned of a "real and present danger" to Baltic members of NATO -- eurozone members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Latvia takes over the rotating EU presidency on Thursday, putting the tiny Baltic state in the front line of EU efforts to tackle issues ranging from Greek political uncertainty to Russia's intervention in Ukraine.

Its half-year stint at the helm of the 28-nation bloc begins on January 1, but the main launch event will take place a week later, when the European Commission gathers in the capital Riga.