Main image: The tanker Eagle S, suspected of damaging the cable and carrying Russian oil, is the subject of a criminal investigation. At the NATO summit, they will discuss how to protect the Baltic Sea's underwater infrastructure. Image: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva
In Helsinki on Tuesday, a meeting is taking place with the leaders of Finland, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and NATO's Secretary General, where they will discuss how to better protect the Baltic Sea's underwater infrastructure from sabotage, reports Yle.
This meeting was called following the disruption of underwater cables at Christmas and other suspicious cable damages throughout the year.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal will host the gathering at the Presidential Palace. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen will also participate.
Matt Pesu, a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, believes the high level of participation in the summit shows Finland and Estonia that their allies are interested in the region's security. He added that this summit is a signal to Russia that the security and protection of the Baltic Sea region are priorities on NATO and the EU's agendas.
Pesu stressed that preventing such sabotage in the "gray zone," international waters, is very challenging, and it is necessary to understand whether there are any legal means to prevent such potential actions.
Kristi Raik, director of the Estonian International Centre for Defence Studies, believes that Russia did not expect NATO to play a strong role in responding to the hybrid measures used by Russia.
However, according to her, despite NATO's activation, it is unclear whether the measures already taken will be sufficient.
One potential response is strengthening sanctions against the shadow fleet, in which the EU plays a key role.
Finland's foreign leadership did not blame Russia for the cable damage, but President Stubb stated that three such incidents within a year cannot be "coincidence or chance."
