NATO to boost military presence in Baltic Sea: Polish premier

NATO to boost Baltic Sea security amid rising tensions, following incidents involving Russian and Chinese ships and undersea infrastructure damage.

NATO will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Tuesday after meeting NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Citing “strange incidents” involving Russian and Chinese ships and damage to undersea installations, Tusk said NATO allies would enhance regional security, following the model of airspace protection. NATO’s secretary-general pledged immediate action, as reported by TVP.

The Baltic Sea has faced significant infrastructure disruptions since Russia’s war on Ukraine began in 2022, intensifying regional tensions.

Recent incidents include the October damage to a Finnish-Estonian gas pipeline by a Chinese cargo ship's anchor and last month's severing of two telecommunications cables between Sweden and Denmark, with the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 under suspicion. China denied Sweden’s request to investigate the ship.

In mid-November, submarine cables connecting Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, and Germany were also damaged near Swedish waters. European officials suspect sabotage linked to the war in Ukraine, while the Kremlin dismissed the claims as “absurd.”

Unresolved explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 highlighted the region’s vulnerability. Investigations into these incidents continue amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

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