The Inquiry17 Joulu 2024

Can Nato protect the Baltic Sea?

Accusations of sabotage have been made after a Chinese merchant ship cut through two important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Eight of the nine states in the Baltic are members of Nato but Russia has access to the sea from St Petersburg and for its Kaliningrad exclave.

With previous incidents of damage to underwater pipelines and cables, there is concern that the security of critical underwater infrastructure is at risk from ‘grey zone’ activities - damaging but deniable incidents below the level of outright war.

David Baker hears how countries’ security is threatened by incidents like these. The pipelines that were cut ran between Finland and Germany and Sweden and Lithuania. He asks who can intervene to protect these assets in the Baltic. Can Nato respond?

Our experts this week are: Elizabeth Braw, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security, and the author of an upcoming book called The Undersea War; Helga Kalm, director of the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia; Marion Messmer, senior research fellow in the International Security Programme at Chatham House; Tormod Heier, professor at the National Defence University College in Oslo, Norway and a former officer in the Norwegian Intelligence Service.

Presenter: David Baker Producer: Philip Reevell Researcher: Katie Morgan Editor: Tara McDermott Sound engineer: Craig Boardman

Image Credit - Rex/Shutterstock via BBC Images

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(594)

Is Portugal’s drugs policy in need of reform?

In 2001, Portugal decriminalised the possession and use of all illicit drugs. It was a move designed to mitigate the country’s public health crisis, which at the time meant Portugal had one of the wor...

2 Kesä 23min

What’s the future for monetary unions?

At the beginning of this year Bulgaria, considered as one of the poorest countries in the European Union, became the latest to officially join the eurozone. Bulgaria’s legal tender since 1881 had been...

26 Touko 23min

Are the Himalayan glaciers at a tipping point?

The Himalayan glaciers are melting more rapidly as global temperatures rise, raising concerns about the future of ecosystems and communities across the Himalayan mountain range. Glaciers store more th...

19 Touko 24min

What is the future of the European Union?

The recent election result in Hungary has been seen as a welcome relief within the European Union.The bloc of 27 nations has, at times, felt frustrated with the country for blocking what the other 26 ...

12 Touko 23min

Are countries really running out of jet fuel?

Global oil markets have been affected by the US Israel war with Iran, leading to higher jet fuel prices and increased attention on supply risks.But how serious is the situation? While some experts poi...

2 Touko 24min

Should we mine the Moon?

The recent Nasa Artemis II crewed mission to the far side of the Moon is a further step towards a long-term return to the lunar surface and future missions to Mars. The plan is that before the end of ...

28 Huhti 23min

Cycling: Is it time to swap four wheels for two?

Conflict in the Middle East has led to volatility in global oil prices, pushing up fuel costs worldwide. Previous oil shocks prompted some countries to reconsider their reliance on cars, investing in ...

21 Huhti 24min

How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?

Broadcasters from The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are all boycotting May’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating. Sources within Israel’s broadcaster say calls ...

14 Huhti 24min