NATO leaders warn Baltic nations of possible future incidents following undersea infrastructure damage amid heightened security concerns, discussing increased NATO presence and collaboration for regional safety.
NATO leaders in the Baltic region expressed the need for preparation against potential incidents following recent damage to undersea infrastructure. The situation has heightened concerns, especially with multiple outages of power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Discussions around increasing NATO presence are ongoing.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics emphasized the challenge of monitoring the Baltic Sea, where approximately 2,000 ships transit daily. While it’s impossible to guarantee complete protection, he believes that sending a strong message can help reduce incidents.
Highlighting recent events, Finnish police seized a tanker suspected of damaging crucial infrastructure. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested that these incidents indicate a hybrid strategy aimed at European destabilization. He stressed the importance of collaboration to enhance security in the Baltic Sea region.
Source : Baltic Sea nations seek to limit further incidents after cable breaches
