Polish FM Tusk Calls on Baltics to Secure Entire Baltic Sea Amid Russian Sabotage Incidents

NATO’s ongoing operations, code-named ‘Baltic Guard 25’, represent a “radical strengthening” of the alliance’s presence in the Baltic Sea, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a visit to Helsinki in comments to Polskie Radio on January 14.

“The Baltic states require constant security control,” Tusk emphasized. “The security of the Baltic Sea must be reinforced. We have proposed utilizing NATO forces and national units for this purpose,” Tusk stated.

Tusk noted the importance of these measures, acknowledging that it is impossible to monitor “every square meter of the Baltic Sea.” He called for enhanced oversight of the Danish Straits and the region’s supply chains.

“When it comes to breaches of Baltic Sea security, countries must be prepared to respond decisively, as Finland has done—intercepting vessels, detaining crews, and identifying those responsible,” the PM continued.

“We are also collaborating with the British and Norwegians,” he said, highlighting the interconnectedness of Baltic and North Sea security.

Tusk’s remarks came ahead of his trip to Helsinki for a summit of NATO heads of state and government, including leaders from Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The summit will focus on ensuring the security of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

The call for vigilance follows Finland’s detention of the Russian Eagle S oil tanker in late December. Finnish authorities suspect the vessel damaged the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia.

The Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands, is reportedly part of Russia’s shadow fleet, according to Finnish Customs. The ship’s crew consists of citizens from India and Georgia. Finnish Customs are investigating potential sanctions violations related to the tanker’s activities.

Earlier, the head of the Finnish investigation revealed that crew members aboard an oil tanker, suspected of sabotaging undersea power and communication cables in the Baltic Sea, were reportedly planning to target additional infrastructure when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel.