Germany's security is linked to security of Baltic countries, minister says

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that the security of the Baltic states and Germany were inseparable, pledging stronger cooperation to counter what he described as Russia’s blend of conventional and unconventional threats as he travelled to Tallinn.

“The security of the Baltics is also our security in Germany,” Wadephul stressed before his visit to Estonia and Denmark.

He highlighted rising risks in the Baltic Sea, including Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” ships Western officials say are used to evade oil sanctions along with incidents of cut cables, displaced buoys and disrupted GPS signals.

Moscow has denied involvement in undersea sabotage in the region, insisting the West is exploiting such accusations to obstruct its maritime oil exports. Russia has also rejected responsibility for a growing number of security incidents across the Euro-Atlantic area, from recurring cyberattacks to arson.

“We are seeing the full arsenal of Russia’s hybrid aggression,” Wadephul warned, noting that Estonia and other Baltic countries had long cautioned of these dangers.

“Today, the EU and NATO benefit from their foresight and expertise and we aim to strengthen this cooperation further,” he added.

Wadephul said security would also be a key topic in Denmark. “The need to better protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic and North Seas is a priority Denmark is advancing under its EU Council presidency,” he noted. “All of Europe benefits from clean beaches, secure trade routes, and reliable energy and data connections.”

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