Russia seeks to alter Baltic maritime boundaries, Finland responds
The Russian authorities want to unilaterally change the country's maritime boundaries with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen responded to these reports.
On Tuesday, Russian media and Kremlin news agencies cited a document prepared by the Ministry of Defence of Russia. The Putin regime intends to consider part of the water area in the eastern Gulf of Finland and near Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in the Kaliningrad region as internal maritime waters.
Baltic Sea boundaries to be redrawn? Russia already has a project
The Russian government intends to adjust the coordinates at the border with Finland in the region of the Jähi, Sommers, Holland, Rodsher, Maly Tyuters, and Vigrund islands and near the northern entrance of the Narva River.
As a result of changes in the southern part of the Russian islands in the eastern Gulf of Finland, as well as in the region of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk, a previously absent system of straight baselines will be created, forming appropriate water areas to be "used as internal maritime waters of the Russian Federation."
Russia wants to revise boundaries. Finnish reaction
Elina Valtonen, Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, responded to these reports.
"According to media reports, Russia is possibly reviewing the definition of maritime zones in the Gulf of Finland. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is investigating the details. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea includes provisions for defining the maritime zones of coastal states, including their revision. We assume that Russia, as a party to the convention, will act accordingly. It is worth remembering that confusion is also a form of hybrid influencing. Finland is not confused." - she wrote on the platform X.
The Russians also want to revise the border with Lithuania. The changes will cover the Curonian Spit in the Bay of Gdańsk, the Cape Taran area, and the Baltic Spit.
