COLD WAR II: Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said Tuesday that NATO and the European Union must raise their game to protect themselves from hybrid threats and defend undersea cables from attack.
“NATO and [the] EU have to do a lot more to protect this critical infrastructure,” Häkkänen told POLITICO following the EU Foreign Affairs Council (defense format) in Brussels, adding that the topic had been discussed during the meeting.
Häkkänen’s remarks follow a Monday announcement by Finnish network company Cinia that it is investigating damage to an undersea internet cable connecting Santahamina, near Helsinki, to Rostock, Germany. The incident sparked political concern in both Berlin and Helsinki.
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday referred to the damage as “sabotage.”
“We know that Russia has [the] capability and willingness to do sabotage in Europe,” Häkkänen told POLITICO.
But was it Russia?
The Iran-Russia-China axis is showing its hand.
🔴 Chinese ship Yi Peng suspected of cutting Finland-Germany & Sweden-Lithuania undersea cables.
🔴 Danish Navy shadowing Yi Peng as it tries to flee the Baltic Sea.This echoes last year’s Newnew Polar Bear incident, where… https://t.co/l7EuuQj6PP
— Rihards Kols (@RihardsKols) November 19, 2024
More to come, I’m sure.