NATO starts massive Baltic Sea naval drill with aspirants Finland, Sweden

NATO on Sunday kicked off a nearly two-week-long naval exercise in the Baltic Sea. The US-led exercise, which will see more than 7,000 sailors, airmen and marines participate, will include 16 nations, including NATO aspirants Finland and Sweden.

While the exercise is not being held in response to any specific threat and is the 2022 edition of the annual BALTOPS exercise that has been conducted since 1972, the alliance said that “with both Sweden and Finland participating, NATO is seizing the chance in an unpredictable world to enhance its joint force resilience and strength.”

Also read | When will the Ukraine-Russia war end? Kyiv has a prediction

Finland and Sweden, which have had a long history of military non-alignment, changed their stance in a historic move and applied for NATO membership in May this year as a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite threats by Moscow.

In light of the same, the US stressed that it was important for NATO to show support to the governments in Helsinki and Finland.

Also read | Russia holds Ukraine’s grains ransom for end to West’s sanctions

“It is important for us, the United States, and the other NATO countries to show solidarity with both Finland and Sweden in this exercise,” US General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Saturday, a day before the exercise officially began. General Milley went on to emphasize the strategic importance of the Baltic Sea, describing it as “one of the great seaways of the world,” adding that Finland and Sweden joining NATO would leave Russia in a difficult military position, with almost all of the Baltic Sea coastline being encircled by NATO members.

This year’s exercise – officially known as BALTOPS 22 – will see 45 vessels and 75 aircraft participate. The exercise started on June 5 and will end on June 17 at the German port of Kiel.