Swedish Army Chief Warns of Putin’s Expansion Plans in the Baltic Sea

Russian authorities have decided to expand Russia’s territorial waters in the Baltic Sea near the state border with Lithuania and Finland according to the draft government resolution published on the legal acts portal.

According to the document prepared by the Ministry of Defense, Russia intends to declare part of the water area in the east of the Gulf of Finland as its internal sea waters, as well as near the cities of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in the Kaliningrad region.

“The passage of the state border of the Russian Federation at sea will change,” the draft decree said.

The current geographic coordinates established by the USSR Council of Ministers in 1985 “do not fully correspond to the current geographical situation,” the authors of the project claim. These coordinates were obtained “using small-scale marine navigation charts,” which themselves were derived from data dating back to the mid-20th century. Consequently, this approach “does not allow us to determine the external boundary of the internal sea waters” of the Russian Federation, the document says.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces, Micael Bydén, believes that Vladimir Putin wants to control the Baltic Sea and has his eyes on Gotland Island, Sweden. General Micael Bydén stated his warning in an interview with RND.

According to the General, “Whoever controls Gotland controls the Baltic Sea.” Russia’s war in Ukraine changed the political situation in Europe, that’s why Sweden is securing the island with permanently stationed units and temporarily bringing additional forces there if the danger situation increases.

“Gotland is Swedish territory, so Sweden has the responsibility to protect it and Gotland has the right to be protected,” the General underscored.

General Micael Bydén believes Russia is interested in controlling the Baltic Sea.

“I am sure that Putin even has both eyes on Gotland. Putin’s goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea. He probably also has an eye on the Åland Islands. The Russians are watching closely what is happening at the entrances and exits to the Baltic Sea.”

If Russia takes control of the Baltic Sea, it would have a huge impact on life in Sweden and all the other Baltic Sea countries.

“We cannot allow that to happen. The Baltic Sea must not become Putin’s playground where he can scare NATO members.”