Russia: Baltic Security Statement Will Lead to Escalation of Tensions

Russia: Baltic Security Statement Will Lead to Escalation of Tensions

According to Mehr News Agency, Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the European Affairs Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the adoption of a statement on Baltic Sea region security by Western countries will escalate tensions in this region.

In response to Poland's decision to join a statement on the security of the Baltic Sea region, the North Atlantic and the Arctic, he said that creating a framework for forming a kind of joint maritime capacity is aimed at strengthening illegal actions and providing mutual cover for them.

This Russian official emphasized: "In practice, the activities of such mechanisms will only lead to escalating tensions and creating obstacles to free navigation; an issue that contradicts the fundamental principles of international law."

In recent months, maritime security in the Baltic Sea region and the Arctic has become one of the axes of disagreement between Russia and Western countries. Western countries emphasize increasing defense and maritime cooperation; in contrast, Russian officials assess some of these initiatives as actions against Moscow's interests and a threat to freedom of navigation.