Baltic Sea countries rally together against Russia

There had been some amused feedback as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her entourage swept in at the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Kristiansand in Norway. 

“It’s the German delegation” people chuckled. The masks were the giveaway. 

Masking is no longer a thing in Norway — everyone else gathering for the Council of the Baltic Sea States was mask-free, making the Germans look a little angsty.  

But angst is not the new German foreign minister’s style, and the masks were soon discarded as the meetings began. All eyes were on Baerbock as she made her debut in this setting.

The turning point

“I need to thank Annalena personally and Germany for taking management in Europe, and particularly northern Europe, after this struggle,” Baerbock’s Norwegian counterpart, Anniken Huitfeldt, said at the closing press conference. “In Norway we see that there was a turning level in Germany’s place … and we totally respect that,” she said, referring to the massive investment in the military that Berlin has announced in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

The war is a turning point for the Baltic Sea region too. The Council of Baltic Sea States had not met on this level since 2014, when Russia made its first attack on Ukraine and annexed Crimea. 

Russia had been a member of the CBSS, which was formed in 1992 in the aftermath of the Cold War. Its purpose: promoting regional cooperation among countries of Baltic Sea region. 

Over the years the CBSS advanced many low-key programs, in areas as varied as student exchange and fighting human trafficking.

‘Profound’ change of perspective

The war has now served as a dramatic wake-up call. The CBSS had reduced cooperation with Moscow after 2014. This March, after the invasion began, it suspended Russian membership. In May, Russia pulled out altogether.

‘Good riddance’ seems to be the message from the CBSS. 

“By attacking Ukraine, Russia has eliminated itself not simply from the current format now we have right here, but in addition from the civilized world as we all know it,” mentioned Lithuania’s overseas minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis. “Our community is more like-minded than it ever was. But the world around our countries is unfortunately less safe.

Annalena Baerbock echoed that message. “The area’s perspective on safety has modified now profoundly,” she mentioned, hailing Finland and Sweden’s resolution to affix the NATO alliance. 

Pressure on Germany

But it isn’t all concord. Despite Norway’s reward for its management, Germany has confronted criticism from Baltic states for being hesitant in its help for Ukraine – notably with regards to supplying weapons.

“We all had to show a little bit of patience for Germany to choose a position and start walking the path,” Gabrielius Landsbergis said. 

“We might be remembered by the deeds and acts that now we have achieved throughout these months, and not simply subsequent yr however for many years to come back,” he added. “Whether we made Europe stronger, and whether we helped Ukraine win.”

Reviving the Baltic

With the CBSS given a new sense of purpose, now the question is what it will do. Germany takes on the presidency for a year from July. 

Baerbock said clean energy will be the centerpiece of its agenda – with a plan to invest in joint offshore wind power projects.

It’s a characteristically green-tinged proposal for Baerbock, a member of Germany’s Green Party, and has obvious potential in this windy part of the world. But she insists it tackles a crucial security challenge of the moment: dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

“It’s not solely a query about local weather neutrality, but in addition now a query of vitality safety,” she mentioned. “Phasing out Russian fossil fuels is also the chance to phase in renewable and clean and secure energy.”

The message: amidst the earthquake shaking Europe, everything is connected. Something felt more keenly in the Baltic region, on Russia’s doorstep, than anywhere else in the world.

As the German delegation took off home, the masks were back on. But Baerbock will be hoping that she dispelled any sense of German angst in showing leadership on the crisis – and rallying its neighbors together.

“We are economy-wise the largest nation in the European Union, due to this fact now we have a particular accountability, additionally with regard to management” she mentioned. “I actually consider that our strongest weapon is our unity.” 

Edited by: Andreas Illmer

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