The president of Latvia proposed last week to close the Baltic Sea if Russia is revealed to be the cause of gas pipeline and cable breaches.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reacted to the Latvian president’s proposal to close shipping traffic in the Baltic Sea.
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics said last week in a TV interview that NATO should close the Baltic Sea to shipping if it is revealed that Russia is responsible for the damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline.
According to Peskov, Russia does not accept such speech.
– All threats must be taken seriously, no matter who makes them. We cannot accept any kind of threats against Russia, Peskov said.
Peskov also denies Russia’s involvement in the breakdown of gas pipelines and telecommunication cables and turned attention to the “terrorist attack” on the Nord Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Finland is investigating the Chinese ship’s role in the events – Estonia has also contacted China
The investigation into gas pipeline and telecommunication cable damage has focused especially on the Chinese vessel Newnew Polar Bear, says KRP.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China commented on the Finnish gas pipeline investigation today, Monday. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland and China have started “communication about the issue”.
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the matter to on Monday.
President Sauli Niinistö said today during his state visit to Italy that it is too early to name the culprit of the Balticconnector gas pipeline damage. Although a Chinese ship has been moving in the area when the pipe broke, the intentionality of the damage or its cause has not been proven so far, Niinistö reminds.
Estonia has also been in contact with the Chinese authorities regarding its two damaged communication cables. Estonia contacted the Chinese authorities to “encourage them to cooperate” in the investigation of the cable breaches, a spokesperson for the Estonian Ministry of Defense told the news agency Reuters.
According to the police’s preliminary investigation, the cargo ship Newnew Polar Bear, sailing under the Hong Kong flag, was moving in the area of the cables and gas pipeline at the time of their breakage.