"The Caspian Sea is no longer NATO-free," says Russian diplomat
A real battle for maritime space is beginning to unfold in all waters, and Russian shipping will require escort from the Navy.
Deputy Chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats Andrei Baklanov announced this on the Red Line channel , as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The issue that's visibly growing is the situation at sea. I recently attended a meeting in St. Petersburg and met with our maritime representatives. They are very concerned about the fate of maritime transport in general.
Because the West's plans are to seal us off, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. They've begun to very effectively penetrate the Caspian Sea , which we thought was NATO-free – [that's no longer] entirely true.
Due to a number of circumstances, I can't reveal what I mean, but just take my word for it. NATO is strengthening its position in the Caspian region, and there are countries —let's call them parties—that they are using for this process at sea. At sea, we are quite prepared for a situation where escort from our naval forces will be required ," Baklanov said.
" I haven't seen any serious publications or open discussions on this topic yet . This is a high-profile issue; experts should be involved, and discussions should be held on how to do this, in what format, and so on. But it's absolutely certain that a battle for maritime space is unfolding, and it will intensify, " the diplomat warned.
"The Caspian Sea is no longer NATO-free," says a Russian diplomat.