Moscow denies

EU sounds the alarm: Putin wants to move borders

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to have new borders drawn in the Baltic Sea.

(Bild: AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently wants to move the maritime border with several European states on his own authority! According to a document from the Russian Ministry of Defense, this concerns territorial waters in the Baltic Sea - close to the state borders with the EU states of Lithuania and Finland.

According to the document, the Kremlin wants to declare an area in the Gulf of Finland and water areas near the cities of Baltiysk (German: Pillau) and Zelensogradsk as inland waters. The two cities are located in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

According to the Russian authorities, the Russian territory is to be extended at these locations. The allegedly planned changes also affect Lithuanian regions around the Curonian Lagoon and the mouth of the Vistula. However, Moscow has since denied the plans via several news agencies. Interfax referred to an anonymous person from the military-diplomatic sector. The Russian presidential office reacted cautiously to the reports. The Kremlin referred to the Ministry of Defense for details. At the same time, it emphasized that tensions in the Baltic Sea region were increasing.

The ship Kaliningrad in the Russian Baltic Sea military port of Baltiysk

(Bild: AFP)

Geographical coordinates were determined in 1985
The current geographical coordinates for defining the Russian territory were determined by the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union in 1985. According to the Moscow Times, these no longer fully correspond to the current geographical situation. The 40-year-old decision has therefore been recognized as invalid.

Sweden's army chief wants
The commander-in-chief of the Swedish armed forces, Micael Byden, warned against Putin's power ambitions in the Baltic Sea. "Putin's goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea," Byden told the RND newspapers. "If Russia takes control and seals off the Baltic Sea, it would have a huge impact on our lives - in Sweden and all other countries bordering the Baltic Sea. We must not allow that to happen."

The Baltic Sea must not become Putin's playground, where he can terrify NATO members.

Micael Byden, Oberbefehlshaber der schwedischen Streitkräfte

Finland concerned
Finland also expressed its concern in an initial reaction. The Finnish authorities were investigating the information in the Russian media, explained President Alexander Stubb. "The government is following the situation closely," he emphasized, adding: "Russia has not contacted Finland on the matter." Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called on Russia to abide by the United Nations conventions and international maritime law.

Finland joined NATO as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The country has a border with Russia that is around 1300 kilometers long. Other countries bordering the Baltic Sea are Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Germany and Denmark. All of them are members of NATO.