Observing from the deck of a Finnish patrol vessel, I witnessed armed individuals descending from a helicopter and initiating an aggressive operation on the ship.
The masked security personnel swiftly advanced to the ship’s control center, vocally asserting their dominance. Fortunately, this was merely a drill conducted by the Finnish Border Guard, responsible for safeguarding an 830-mile border along NATO’s eastern front against Russia. Additionally, the unit actively engages with Putin’s clandestine fleet in the Gulf of Finland and has conducted operations on vessels suspected of tampering with crucial undersea cables.
Demonstrating their tactics for seizing control of suspicious vessels, camouflaged personnel showcased their procedures to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper during her visit to Finland and Norway. The proximity to Russia felt pronounced as we boarded the Turva, an offshore patrol ship, in Helsinki, overlooking the Gulf of Finland, which extends to St. Petersburg, the easternmost part of the Baltic Sea.
Facing Russia’s proximity, the Finnish authorities grapple with Putin’s disruptive strategies and hybrid warfare. Cooper’s visit underscores the significant threat posed by Russia’s clandestine fleet to Britain.
During our discussion, Cooper emphasized the necessity of taking action against a network of aged oil tankers operating under dubious flags. These vessels not only assist in funding Putin’s unlawful activities in Ukraine by circumventing Western sanctions but are also implicated in sabotaging undersea cables vital for telecommunications and energy supplies like electricity, oil, and gas.
The UK is reportedly exploring the legal aspects of using military force to board these vessels, following its involvement in assisting US special forces in a recent operation targeting a tanker linked to Russia. The visit of the Foreign Secretary to the region occurs amidst escalating tensions in the Arctic.
The rising temperatures due to climate change have triggered a geopolitical struggle as new shipping routes open up and resources become accessible with the melting ice. The issue of Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, has garnered global attention.
Britain aims to demonstrate its capability to play a pivotal role in shaping security in the High North alongside NATO partners. However, the potential actions of the US President could disrupt these efforts if his threats materialize.