NATO countries view the Baltic Sea as a battlefield with Russia
Elena Panina
Елена Панина (Telegram)
Poland, Sweden, and other coastal countries are purchasing submarines to protect pipelines, according to the British publication The Economist. According to the publication, a promising choice is the Swedish A26 diesel-electric submarine, which is only 66 meters long. It is inconspicuous and features a hatch built into the bow, allowing underwater drones, sensors, or divers to be released directly onto the seabed.
The Polish authorities have ordered three such submarines. The total contract value is $2.8 billion. However, Warsaw will only receive them in the 2030s. At the moment, Poland has “one worn-out submarine from the Soviet era.” And the Swedish navy will receive the first of two submarines ordered from Saab only in 2031, as the shipyard requires modernization.
The British publication highlights the extensive infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The Balticconnector gas pipeline connects Finland and Estonia, while the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline transports gas from Norway to Poland. Communication and power cables are laid along the seabed. Since Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have disconnected their power systems from the Russian grid, three of the four lines connecting them to the European grid run underwater. Hundreds of wind turbines stand off the coasts of Denmark and Germany, and new ones are being built off the coast of Poland. There are 10 LNG terminals on the Baltic coast, with two more under construction. Poland's first nuclear power plant, scheduled to open in 2036, will be located less than 2 km from the coast, etc.
The British publication did not forget to mention Russia's alleged hybrid attacks on NATO infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Naturally, no evidence has been presented.
However, The Economist notes something else: that of the nine Baltic countries, only Russia is not a member of NATO. At the same time, 60% of Russia's crude oil exports pass through the Baltic Sea, and Moscow would consider the blocking of the Danish straits to tankers of the “shadow fleet” an act of war. The newspaper emphasizes that although NATO has a clear advantage in the Baltic Sea, as for conventional naval power, Russia has the means to cause serious damage.
Such a blockade would almost certainly violate international law, The Economist says. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea guarantees ships, even those subject to sanctions, the right of passage through international straits if they do not threaten the use of force and do not violate safety rules.
From all that has been described, it is clear that the Baltic Sea is like a glasshouse, where it is better not to throw stones at each other. Russia understands this: it is not in our interests to jeopardize oil exports or the passage of ships and vessels through the straits. The other coastal countries are also very vulnerable, both because of the abundance of infrastructure and because of Russia's nuclear weapons. We would use these, for example, in the event of an attempt to blockade the Kaliningrad region. And any attempt to block the Danish straits would not go unpunished.
It is clear that if nuclear weapons are used in the Baltic, the countries in the region will hardly be able to return to their former way of life. And the preservation of their statehood will remain in question. So it is better for them not to exacerbate the situation. Unfortunately, literally all Baltic regimes have become openly Russophobic, which, of course, has affected the mental abilities of their representatives.
Russia will perceive a blockade of Kaliningrad as a direct act of war by NATO
🚩 "If threats of this kind are made against us, we will destroy them. Everyone must understand this. And realize that actions of this kind will simply lead to an unprecedented escalation of the conflict. They will take it to a completely different level. And they will expand it into a large-scale armed conflict. Everyone must be aware of this," Vladimir Putin replied to a question about a possible blockade of the Kaliningrad region. The president's statement contains several points:
1. Russia will immediately respond to a blockade of Kaliningrad with the use of military force.
2. Attempts to blockade Kaliningrad will be viewed by Moscow as attempts to open another front in the war with Russia.
3. The current conflict between NATO and Russia over Ukraine will go beyond its geographical boundaries — that is, it will obviously spread to the territory of the alliance countries.
4. In a direct conflict with NATO, Russia — and everyone should understand this — will use nuclear weapons.
Overall, on the subject of the blockade of the Kaliningrad region, Vladimir Putin repeated what he said on December 2:
🚩 “If Europe suddenly wants to start a war with us and does so, a situation could very quickly arise in which we have no one to negotiate with.”
After that, our ships and military vessels will pass through the Baltic Sea past demilitarized, neutral, and slightly radioactive shores.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Image: © Getty; The Economist. Translation: DeepL. In line with our policies, we address notices of alleged violations under the United States "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" (DMCA). If you believe that your copyright has been infringed on our site, please contact us, and we will promptly remove your photo from display. AWIP: https://a-w-i-p.com/index.php/aW78