The summit of the Alliance’s Baltic Sea-bordering countries addressed issues related to the protection of critical infrastructure. The meeting was organized as NATO aims to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea following the damage inflicted on several underwater cables.
President Gitanas Nausėda commended Finland’s determination and swift response in detaining the Eagle S vessel that severed the Estlink 2 cable.
“This is an example of how we should respond: promptly record the cable damage, identify the suspects, detain the vessel, and press charges. We should coordinate our efforts and respond as one. We must send a signal to Moscow and shadow fleet vessels that disruptive activities will not be taken lightly and will face consequences and retribution. This is the best way to deter,” the Head of State spoke.
According to the President, we cannot rule out the possibility that the last three incidents over the past 13 months—in which vessels going from a Russian port dragged their anchors along the seabed, damaging underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea—were deliberate acts of sabotage.
“We need to make decisions that would enable us to quickly detect infrastructure breaches, enhance the surveillance of suspicious ship movements, step up patrolling in the Baltic Sea, and to allocate the necessary capabilities to these efforts. NATO has all the capabilities required to protect its allies’ infrastructure. I appreciate the Alliance’s swift response and decision to begin patrolling the Baltic Sea. Lithuania is ready to contribute to NATO’s collective efforts by its own national capabilities, including a standby vessel and a helicopter,” Gitanas Nausėda pointed out.
In addition, the Head of State emphasized the need to develop a coordinated and broader regional interpretation of international law that would enable action against ships responsible for damaging critical infrastructure.
The President also emphasized the need to push for new European Union sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, which not only poses a threat to critical infrastructure but also fuels the Kremlin’s war machine. The Russian shadow fleet could be used not only to sever submarine cables but also to cause ecological disasters, the Head of State pointed out. Therefore, an urgent response is required to restrict these ships’ access to the Baltic Sea.
The summit of the Baltic Sea NATO countries was also attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, and Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen.
