Tension is rising in the Baltic countries after Moscow’s recent moves aimed at redefining its maritime borders. In the early hours of yesterday, the Russian Border Guard unilaterally removed 25 border buoys on the Narva River, which mark the border with Estonia. An operation which, moreover, follows up on the intentions declared by the Russian Ministry of Defense with the draft government decree, published by the Kremlin, which proposes a new list of geographical coordinates that would alter the border in the western region of Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania with access to the Baltic Sea. According to Moscow’s project, the approval of the new coordinates would thus establish «a system of missing straight baselines on the southern part of the Russian islands in the east of the Gulf of Finland near Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk», thus allowing the use of these areas such as inland waters.
The maritime borders
This is in fact a change that would have a direct impact on the Russian maritime border, shifting the external borders of the territorial sea. Change which is justified by Moscow by claiming that the previous geographical coordinates would be obsolete, recorded on marine navigation maps based on 20th century research, therefore not corresponding to the current geographical situation. Hence Moscow’s intention to declare the area east of the Gulf of Finland and near the cities of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk as its internal waters. Intentions that seem to be taking shape with the removal of the buoys on the border between Estonia and Russia. The Baltic premiers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are raising their antennas, opposing what they define as a real “provocation” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and declaring themselves united in condemning Putin’s actions and in facing the challenges posed by Russia.
The condemnation of the Baltic premiers
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has no doubts and on X (formerly Twitter) she comments: «Russia’s action is part of a broader framework of its provocative behavior throughout Europe, including along its borders with its neighbors». Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina showed immediate solidarity with Estonia and from her profile This border incident is part of Russia’s hybrid activities in Europe. We will fight them together with our Allies. We stand in solidarity with our friends and allies in Estonia.” In the same vein, the Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė intervenes and, again from her social channels, underlines how Moscow is “testing a new approach to its hybrid aggression”, causing tensions on the definition and delimitation of NATO borders. Faced with Russia’s declared intentions to unilaterally redraw the maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland and the removal of the Estonian buoys on the Narva, the prime minister takes a clear position: «We do not take these incidents lightly, we carefully monitor the situation and we take sides in solidarity with Estonia. One for all and all for one.”
