Three Baltic states agreed Friday to be ready for a string "response" to hybrid warfare by unfriendly states.
The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania discussed common defense and security issues, joint infrastructure projects as well as support to Ukraine as they gathered in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius for the Baltic Council of Ministers' meeting, according to a statement by the Lithuanian Prime Minister's Office.
Ingrida Simonyte also discussed sanctions on Belarus and Russia, and the most relevant issues on the agendas of NATO and the EU, it added.
"We are like-minded in terms of security and defense, which we must further strengthen, as well as the need to increase comprehensive support for Ukraine, so that we can start marking the anniversary of its defeat as soon as possible, and not the new anniversary of Russia's brutal, indiscriminate war," said Simonyte.
"We must keep calm, but also be alerted and ready for a decisive joint response," she added, noting that last week's cuts of cables in the Baltic Sea only confirm the importance of coordination between countries.
The prime ministers also emphasized that security of the NATO's eastern flank, and Europe by large, depends on Ukraine's victory against Russia and hence it is essential to provide Ukraine with more extensive and sustainable support, according to the statement.
As to the sanctions on Belarus and Russia, it said, "Ministries of Foreign Affairs, together with relevant authorities, will coordinate setting up a uniform regional list of controlled sensitive items with battlefield relevance subject to export restrictions to Russia and Belarus."
Finland reported damage Monday to the C-Lion1, Finland's only submarine communication cable connecting the country to Europe.
Sweden announced Tuesday it launched an investigation into the damage of two undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea -- one linking Sweden with Lithuania and the other connecting Finland and Germany.
The same day, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius labeled the incident a "hybrid action" linked to sabotage, underscoring growing concerns about the security of critical infrastructure in the region.
