Baltic Sea NATO Summit Focuses on Security

A security summit hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal is underway in Helsinki, focusing on the Baltic Sea region's security amid rising concerns over the 'Russian shadow fleet.' The summit aims to enhance protection for critical underwater infrastructure, particularly following incidents of suspected sabotage on fiber-optic and electricity cables. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and leaders from several Baltic NATO countries, including Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden, are participating in the discussions. Increased NATO naval presence and enhanced surveillance in the Baltic Sea are on the agenda, with Latvia expressing readiness to contribute vessels. The meeting comes after several cables were allegedly cut, raising alarms over maritime security and the activities of Russian vessels circumventing sanctions. The summit reflects a collective effort to bolster regional security in response to these threats.