NATO will establish a Baltic Guard, the aim of which will be to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea using frigates, patrol aircraft and other types of weapons, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. A summit is taking place in Helsinki with the participation of eight countries in the region and the European Commission.
He represents Poland in the capital Finland prime minister Donald Tusk. The talks concern securing strategic undersea infrastructure, strengthening NATO's presence in the Baltic Sea and threats arising from the Russian “shadow fleet” (these are old ships used by Russia exports its crude oil bypassing international sanctions).
Establishment of the Baltic Guard
Secretary General of the Alliance Mark Rutte at the conference during the summit, he announced that NATO will establish a Baltic Guard, the aim of which will be to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea using frigates, patrol aircraft and other types of weapons.
Chancellor German Olaf Scholz he in turn reported that NATO countries are considering the possibility of imposing sanctions on Russia's “shadow fleet” in the Baltic Sea as part of efforts to protect critical infrastructure in the region.
Summit in Helsinki with the participation of Donald Tusk PAP/Piotr Nowak
“We want to send a clear signal”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who chairs the summit, said ahead of the meeting. – We want to give a clear signal that the Baltic countries are ready to act and monitor the region more extensively. We cannot remain inactive when it comes to maritime safety.
Stubb recalled that there have been three recent incidents in the Baltic Sea – from the damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline in the fall of 2023 to the rupture of telecommunications cables and the EstLink 2 power cable at the end of December. The Eagle S tanker, transporting Russian fuel, suspected of causing this accident, was detained by the Finnish services and an investigation was initiated.
– We must finally control the “shadow fleet” – said Stubb, emphasizing that this will be a signal to Russia, whose budget depends on oil exports.
Main photo source: PAP/Piotr Nowak