Moscow will counter any attempts by NATO to impose its dominance in the Baltic Sea, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said today, quoted by DPA, BTA reports.
The Russian diplomat told the "Russia 24" television channel that the Western military bloc's decision to increase its patrols in the Baltic Sea is further evidence of "the desire to turn it into a NATO lake". "This will not happen for many reasons, but the main one is that the Russian Federation, of course, will not allow it," Grushko stressed.
Moscow's positions in the Baltic Sea weakened after Finland and Sweden joined NATO. Russia's connection to its Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad is via a narrow international air corridor.
Finland and Sweden recently said they would step up their air and sea patrols. The decision was made in connection with the cutting of several cables running along the bottom of the Baltic Sea and suspicions of Russian sabotage.
In addition, Western allies say a "shadow fleet" of unregistered tankers is operating in the Baltic Sea, circumventing Western sanctions on Russia's oil trade.