A meeting of NATO member states on the defense of the Baltic region has started in Finland
On January 14, a meeting of NATO countries with access to the Baltic Sea began in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The main topic of discussion was the safety of underwater infrastructure, informs Over.
Representatives of NATO countries located around the Baltic Sea take part in the summit. The event is accompanied by increased security measures, in particular, the police were spotted even on the roof of the presidential palace. In the afternoon, a press conference is planned with the participation of the President of Finland Alexander Stubb, the Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte and the Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal.
Before the start of the meeting, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Stockholm would not jump to conclusions without evidence, but the series of damage to submarine cables in the Baltic Sea did not appear to be accidental. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stressed that these incidents are probably deliberate actions of a hostile country, and NATO must respond immediately.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevičs highly praised Finland’s prompt response to the serious incident that occurred on December 25. He stressed the importance of taking countermeasures to prevent similar events in the future. In particular, Rinkevichs called for the strengthening of sanctions against the “shadow fleet” of Russia.
