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By Marni Rose McFall
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Putin's navy advisor has named the "NATO Lake" as the country's most important military and security task.
Nikolai Patrushev, the Russian politician and member of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, told the publication Kommersant about Russia's plan to raise their role in the Baltic Sea.
NATO has steadily increased its control of the Baltic Sea, now often referred to as the NATO Lake. The sea, in Northern Europe, is almost entirely enclosed and is crucial for trade, military strategy, and energy infrastructure, with a lower salinity due to freshwater inflow from rivers.
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It is bordered by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. The only non-NATO member bordering the Baltic Sea now is Russia, after Finland and Sweden joined in 2023.
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Newsweek has reached out to NATO and the Kremlin for comment.
Patrushev served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia between 2008 and 2024. He played a key role in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Speaking to Russian newspaper Kommersant on Monday, Patrushev said: "The Americans and their European allies have taken a course towards the militarization of the Baltic Sea."
He said this was a "traditional strategy" for the West, and "our Baltic sailors have always crushed the plans of the aggressors."
Patrushev said: "Ensuring security in the Baltic is the most important military-political task. Since Sweden and Finland joined NATO, and also against the backdrop of the undermining of the Nord Streams, Russia has been taking additional measures to protect its territorial integrity and economic sovereignty."
"We must raise our role in the World Ocean," he said. "Increase our own capabilities, while strengthening cooperation with friendly countries."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Lithuania told Newsweek, "Lithuania is and will continue supporting Ukraine, whatever victory takes."
"Our security situation is directly dependent on the outcome of war in Ukraine. Lithuania ranks top three in providing support to Ukraine in terms of GDP percentage," the spokesperson said.
"We are working closely with our NATO Allies to secure and increase collective defense capabilities and we will continue to do so," they said.
The spokesperson added: "Since joining NATO, Sweden and Finland are taking part along with other allies to effectively protect the Baltic Sea region, including through a NATO Baltic air policing operation.
"Enhanced NATO vigilance activities in the Baltic Sea are taking place to protect critical infrastructure and keep an eye on Russian malign intentions and respond to possible actions. NATO allies are conducting numerous exercises in all domains to exchange experience and ensure interoperability—this year we held the largest NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea."
Patrushev also said the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have "huge potential in the maritime sector."
He said the geography of these countries means they need to do joint work in the world's oceans to maintain stability and security on maritime communications, concentrating efforts in shipbuilding, developing the infrastructure of ports, training personnel and introducing new technologies.
A spokesperson for Poland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs told Newsweek, "We are extremely concerned by Russia's activities in the Baltic Sea region. In response, Poland in cooperation with its allies in NATO and the EU takes steps to deter Russia from malign activities and to prepare for collective defense."
The spokesperson cited the ministry's decision to close the Russian consulate in Poznań, one of the largest Polish cities, and Poland's support of an EU sanctions regime in response to Russia's destabilizing activities in Europe (adopted by the EU in October 2024).
They also noted that Poland is strengthening its cooperation with the Nordic-Baltic 8 format and that the Commander Task Force Baltic based in Germany was inaugurated in October 2024. This task force coordinates naval activities in the Baltic Sea region with allies.
The "NATO Lake" has heightened tensions between Russia and the alliance.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Finland and Sweden joined NATO. This resulted in the Baltic Sea now being surrounded by NATO members.
Russia's Baltic Fleet is headquartered in the exclave of Kaliningrad. Located between the NATO members of Poland and Lithuania, it would be a front line in any conflict between Moscow and the alliance.
Patrushev also accused the U.S. and the U.K. of having an intention to sabotage underwater internet cables and a plan to destabilize the maritime energy trade.
He also told Kommersant the U.S. and the U.K. had been behind behind the September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which are still shrouded in mystery—and were planning others.
He said that "American and British special services" would have had the equipment and personnel required to carry out such an operation as a means "to promote their economic interests."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense for Latvia said, "There is continuous effort among all Baltic States to enhance maritime situational awareness as it is an important area of capability development, at not only the national and regional level, but it is essential within the context of NATO's capability development as a whole."
"Allies are increasing the military presence in and around the Baltic Sea and are conducting regular large-scale exercises and vigilance activities with realistic scenarios."
Update 11/21/24, 8:03 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Ministry of Defense for Latvia.
Update 11/14/24, 9:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Poland.
Update 11/14/24, 8:03 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Lithuania.
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