Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says last week’s incident off Estonia’s coast, that involved a tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet”, shows the need to step up NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea.
“We must not only continue NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission, but also expand it. The growing activity of the shadow fleet also means an increased military risk,” the Foreign Ministry quoted Budrys as saying at the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn on Saturday.
He said the incident, in which Russian fighter jets escorted the Jaguar tanker and prevented Estonian authorities from carrying out an inspection, showed that Russia is ready to use military force to shield civilian vessels.
According to Lithuania’s foreign minister, most tankers in the shadow fleet lack proper registration, insurance or qualified crews, posing serious threats to both the environment and maritime infrastructure.
“If international law allows us to act, we must define that clearly and apply it. Uncertainty only emboldens violators,” the minister insisted.
“We must not only expand the list of sanctioned vessels but also harmonise the application of sanctions across the EU, the US and the UK. Currently, fewer than half of the sanctioned vessels are blacklisted by all three jurisdictions, a weak point that Russia is exploiting,” he added.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
