VILNIUS: Lithuania said Wednesday it has summoned the Russian envoy over plans to unilaterally extend Russia’s maritime border into Lithuanian and Finnish waters, warning the move could be a hybrid warfare tactic.
Lithuania’s foreign ministry said that it was summoning a representative of Russia for a full explanation. Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told journalists that her government was following the situation.
She said that Finland did not have any official information about what Russia was planning, AFP reported.
Lithuania expelled Russia’s ambassador and downgraded its diplomatic ties with Moscow in April 2022 in response to atrocities discovered in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
Russia’s Plans
According to a draft Russian defence ministry resolution released on Tuesday, Moscow plans to extend its territorial waters from January 2025 by changing its maritime border in the Baltic Sea with Lithuania and Finland.
The redefined geographical coordinates would see Moscow declaring Lithuanian and Finnish sea areas as Russian.
Russia’s borders in the Kaliningrad region would be altered, according to the document.
Valtonen said that Russia is also a member and party to the UN Convention on maritime borders. Finland only expected Russia to respect that convention.
She wrote on X that it should be remembered that causing confusion is also a hybrid influence. Finland will not be confused.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that another Russian hybrid operation was underway, this time attempting to spread uncertainty, fear, and doubt about their intentions in the Baltic Sea.
He said on X that this is an obvious escalation against NATO and the European Union, and must be met with an appropriately firm response.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the country’s envoy to NATO has expressed concerns to allies over the Russian plans.
Nauseda told journalists that the move may be “part of Russia’s broader actions against NATO”.
He added that it is a flagrant, blatant violation of international law not only to denounce the treaty but even to speak or disseminate information of this nature.
