Foreign ministers during the Baltic Sea Council meeting deliberate over measures to counter Russian aggression.
Foreign Ministers from the Baltic Sea Council region gather in Finland for discussions on countering hybrid threats from Russia. Their agenda for Friday includes strengthening crisis readiness and resistance, as well as developing a comprehensive strategy for defense against cyber attacks, sabotage, or disinformation coming from Moscow. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is among those in attendance.
Baerbock had a private meeting with her Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen in the early morning hours. During lunchtime, Baerbock, Valtonen, and Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna will address reporters to update the public on the conference's findings.
The presidency of the Baltic Sea Council alternates annually among its members, with Germany holding the reins in Finland at present. Estonia will take over on July 1. Hybrid threats refer to the employment of cyber attacks or disinformation as weapons during conflicts.
The Baltic Sea Council's membership consists of the eight riparian countries - Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden - along with Iceland, Norway and the EU. In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian membership in the council was revoked in March 2022, and the country subsequently departed from the Baltic Sea Council in May.
In the final days of May, Russia removed border markings on the Narva River, shared between Russia and Estonia, that define the boundary between the two nations and the eastern edge of the EU and NATO. There have also been tensions over potential changes to maritime borders in the Baltic Sea and in the exclave of Kaliningrad, which borders Lithuania. The Estonian government requested an audience with the Russian commercial attaché at the Tallinn embassy in early May due to the disruption of GPS satellite navigation in the region.
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The Baltic Sea Council Riverside Minister, Annalena Baerbock, highlighted the importance of defending against cyberattacks and disinformation as threats from Russia during the meeting. In light of Russia's removal of border markings on the Narva River and tensions over maritime borders, cybersecurity and countering disinformation have become crucial components of the region's defense strategy.
