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- Estonia has shown that words will be followed by action.
- The tanker Kiwala is a potential threat to maritime safety.
- The Baltic Sea must be a NATO inland sea in the literal sense of the word.
The detention of the tanker Kiwala by the Estonian Navy on Friday demonstrates our credibility both in terms of sanctions enforcement and maritime safety. In addition, the detention increases Estonia's weight in the eyes of our allies.
When Finland detained the ship Eagle S – suspected of undersea cable sabotage – at the end of last year, many questioned whether Estonia would have done the same. Now Estonia has detained a ship as well – albeit in a less dramatic manner than our northern neighbors and for different reasons – but the action has been taken.
By «different reasons», it is meant that the Kiwala sails without a flag state, and several countries have previously imposed sanctions on it. The tanker is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet and has long been suspected of helping Russia evade sanctions.
In addition, the Estonian authorities found 40 deficiencies on the Kiwala, which means that the ship could potentially pollute the sea. In any case, a tanker's worth of fuel in the Gulf of Finland would be a huge environmental disaster. A clean Gulf of Finland and maritime safety are in the interests of us all.
According to economic expert Raivo Vare, the physical properties of 100,000 tons of heavy fuel oil would push it below the water surface – it would be difficult to collect, fish and birds would die, and there would be no beach holidays for anyone for several years. «It's going to be a mess. There's no money to be taken from anywhere, apart from the taxpayer, to address it,» Vare told Postimees.
We have all too often seen empty phrases expressing either «concern» or «deep concern» about Russia's behavior. But words are not followed by action.
The detention of the Kiwala also demonstrates cooperation between allies. It is known that Estonia had already been keeping an eye on the Kiwala, which means that at least part of the information related to the ship must have come from allies. And that's how it should be.
Any sanctions are ineffective if there is no enforcement mechanism. We have all too often seen empty phrases expressing either «concern» or «deep concern» about Russia's behavior. But words are not followed by action.
If we want the Baltic Sea to be a NATO inland sea, we must act accordingly. The detention of the Kiwala sends a warning signal to other non-compliant vessels that Estonia takes maritime safety seriously – and that to avoid coming under the scrutiny of Estonian authorities, it might be best to avoid sailing in the Gulf of Finland. Last year, Finland sent a strong message to those sabotaging undersea cables; now Estonia has sent a strong message to the shadow fleet.
It is also important that Estonia proved itself in the eyes of our allies. The vision of the Baltic Sea as NATO's inland sea can only become a reality if all NATO allies here are ready to act in a coordinated manner. Indirectly, NATO cooperation will also help Ukraine, because the fewer opportunities for Russia to evade sanctions, the better it is for Ukraine.