Russia Warns Against NATO and EU Attempts to Control Baltic Sea Navigation

Russia has announced it will use all necessary measures to protect shipping in the Baltic Sea and prevent NATO and EU attempts to turn the Baltic and other waterways into their "internal waters,” according to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Those seeking to convert the Baltic Sea and other maritime areas into 'internal waters' of NATO and the EU must understand that acts of piracy and lawlessness will not go unanswered, and we will respond using all necessary means," the statement reads. Accusations of European Provocations Moscow highlighted what it considers provocative actions by European nations, including France, Sweden, and Finland, involving the interception of vessels in international waters. The Russian MFA stated such activity flagrantly violates both the letter and spirit of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and that allegations of breaching sanctions cannot justify these "lawless” actions.