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Security in the Baltic Sea region: Foreign Minister Wadephul travels to Estonia and Denmark
Foreign Minister Wadephul meets his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn © Photothek Media Lab
Foreign Minister Wadephul is setting out on Thursday morning to visit two important partners in the Baltic Sea region: The trip will first take him to Estonia and then to Denmark. Read on to find out more.
Talks will focus on European security and joint support for Ukraine, as well as cooperation on energy issues and the protection of critical infrastructure. This trip will also lay the groundwork for the informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Copenhagen on Saturday, where further support for Ukraine and Europe’s responsibility for security policy are on the agenda.
Strong partners of Ukraine
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is having far‑reaching consequences, which are particularly evident in the Baltic Sea region. Here, the activities of the Russian shadow fleet, the manipulation of navigation systems and targeted attacks on underwater pipelines and cables directly threaten the security of Europe.
Foreign Minister Wadephul stated the following prior to his departure:
It is clear that the Baltic’s security is also our security. In the Baltic Sea region, you get a strong sense of the extent to which this security is under threat. It is where Russia’s shadow fleet is up to no good, where cables are being cut, buoys moved and GPS signals jammed – it is where we see Russia using its entire toolkit of hybrid aggression. Estonia and the Baltic states issued warnings early on about how real the dangers are. Today, we benefit from their far-sightedness and expertise in the EU and in NATO, and we want to further deepen this cooperation.
Estonia: Pioneer in cyber defence and tackling disinformation
The first stop of the trip is Tallinn, where Foreign Minister Wadephul will address the Estonian diplomatic corps and highlight the close partnership between Germany and Estonia. One focus is on joint initiatives against hybrid threats, including cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and attempted interference by pro-Kremlin networks.
Together with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Germany has launched the Resilience Initiative, which tackles disinformation and digital interference in a targeted manner. It comprises awareness-raising and educational programmes, a Youth Media Lab, summer schools and multilingual publications for young people.
Estonia has a reputation for being a global pioneer in cyber defence and digital administration. For NATO and the EU, it is an indispensable partner on the eastern flank. In Tallinn, Foreign Minister Wadephul will therefore also discuss efforts to strengthen joint defence measures – including the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania, surveillance missions in the Baltic Sea and air defence in the Baltic region.
Denmark: Key partner in the European Union
In the afternoon, the Foreign Minister will continue to Copenhagen, where talks with his Danish counterpart Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre are planned. Their discussions will focus on protecting critical infrastructure in the Baltic and North Seas and deepening energy cooperation, as well as coordination within the EU. Both countries are already benefiting from projects such as cross-border offshore wind farms, joint hydrogen projects and initiatives to protect power lines and data cables. This cooperation is set to be further expanded by the 2026 North Sea Summit.
Furthermore, Germany and Denmark are linked by close cooperation as neighbours: More than 70 joint projects have been implemented in recent years in the fields of agriculture, digital transformation and health – directly benefiting people in the German-Danish border region.