Just days out from the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the future of Russia’s war against Ukraine is dominated by a great unknown: whether the incoming president will manage to push Moscow to stop its advance on the battlefield, or whether he will disengage and perhaps
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic Sea region has faced numerous disruptions to power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines.
NATO allies met on Dec. 30 to address the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, following damage to undersea cables connecting Estonia and Finland several days earlier.
The Nordic Baltic Eight countries have urged Georgia to hold new elections following disputed parliamentary elections in October and the inauguration of the new president, according to their statement published on Dec. 29.
"Almost every month, ships are currently damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Funke media group on Dec. 28. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us."
The Estlink 2, an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia, was seriously damaged on Christmas Day. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible act of sabotage.
Defense Minister Serhii Boiev held talks with representatives of the foreign ministries of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden to outline plans for military and financial assistance to Ukraine in 2025, the Defense Ministry reported on its website on Nov. 14.
"In the coming months, we will step up our support, including to the Ukrainian defense industry, and we will invest in making more ammunition available to Ukraine," the joint statement read.
The governments of Norway, Sweden, and Finland have begun the distribution of informative pamphlets to citizens, providing them with advice in case of the outbreak of war or other emergency situations, BBC reported on Nov. 17.
About $46.5 million will go towards initiatives supporting Ukraine's Armed Forces, the Swedish government said. Another $21.6 million will support the development of the Ukrainian defense industry.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced on Oct. 28 that Norway will provide Ukraine with a new 500-million-euro ($543 million) aid package, allocating over half for military assistance.
This is President Volodymyr Zelensky's first official visit to the island country, during which he will meet the prime ministers of Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Hungary's decision to ease entry rules for Russians "may constitute a serious security risk," leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries said in a joint letter to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Aug. 16.
The Nordic and Baltic countries support an increased role for NATO in aiding Ukraine’s fight against Russia, as well as Kyiv’s bid to join the European Union, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told reporters on April 10, according to Reuters.
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