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On 17 May in Tallinn, Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kęstutis Budrys, participated in the Lennart Meri conference and called for decisive and coordinated action to boost security in the Baltic Sea.

Speaking in a panel discussion titled "Security of the Baltic Sea: Shadow Fleet in Shallow Waters," the head of Lithuania's diplomacy underlined that the Baltic Sea region was becoming increasingly vulnerable to growing Russian military activity and the shadow fleet aimed at circumventing international sanctions.

“We must acknowledge that the Baltic Sea is our responsibility. We must take the initiative and act in cooperation with our allies,” Minister Budrys said.

The Minister highlighted three main challenges: the shadow fleet, which Russia is using to transport oil while evading sanctions, the unclear application of international maritime law, which hinders the effective security of the Baltic Sea, and the increasing Russian activity in the Baltic Sea, as evidenced by the recent incident in Estonia's exclusive economic zone.

According to Budrys, most of the tankers of the shadow fleet do not have proper registration, insurance, or qualified crews, which poses a serious threat to both the environment and maritime infrastructure.

“We need not only to expand the list of sanctioned ships, but also to harmonize the application of sanctions among the EU, the U.S., and the UK. Currently, less than half of the targeted ships are sanctioned by all three jurisdictions - a weakness exploited by Russia,” said the Minister.

Minister stated that we need clarity and courage to act. Budrys called for strengthening the interpretation and application of international legal norms in the Baltic Sea. According to the Minister, it is necessary to establish clear operational protocols allowing the inspection of suspicious ships, especially those sailing without a flag, which means that they have no legal jurisdiction.

"If international law allows us to act, we need to clearly define and apply it. Uncertainty only emboldens perpetrators," he stressed.

Regarding the military aspect, Budrys drew attention to a recent incident, when Russian fighter jets escorted the tanker named 'The Jaguar', and prevented the Estonian authorities from carrying out an inspection of the ship. According to the Minister, such actions demonstrate Russia's readiness to use military force even for the protection of civilian ships, which significantly increases the level of tension in the region.  Therefore, it is necessary to expand the NATO mission in the Baltic Sea.

“We must not only continue the NATO mission in the Baltic Sea – the Baltic Sentry – but also expand it. The increasing activity of the shadow fleet also means greater military risk,” said Budrys.

Photos: Lennart Meri Conference, Arno Mikkor