Estonia's Defense Minister on Baltic Security: Undercurrents Part 1

The Delegates Lounge

Welcome to the first edition of "Undercurrents," a new ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us.

In this episode, we're joined by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. He explains what's happening beneath the surface of maritime confrontations in the Baltic Sea.

Rising tensions have transformed this crucial waterway into a geopolitical flashpoint, with Russia deploying military assets to escort its so-called "shadow fleet" of aging oil tankers. With approximately 60% of Russian oil exports traveling through Baltic waters, these maritime routes have become critical to Moscow's ability to sustain its military operations in Ukraine.

The May incident involving the unflagged tanker "Jaguar," which later acquired a flag and changed names, exemplifies Russia's aggressive strategy. The incident quickly escalated to Russia violating Estonian airspace with a fighter jet. A week later, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations referred to "Baltic pirates" in a polemic during a UN Security Council session.
We caught up with Minister Pevkur right before this week's meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, so we also discussed NATO's defense spending and priorities.
Join us for this riveting conversation that navigates the choppy waters of Baltic security and explores how maritime tensions are reshaping the global security landscape. What happens in these northern waters could have ripple effects far beyond Europe's shores.

Subscribe to The Delegates Lounge for more critical insights into the maritime undercurrents shaping global politics, economics, and environmental security.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.
Hanno Pevkur (guest) is the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Estonia. He is an Estonian politician and lawyer who previously served as his country’s Minister of the Interior, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Social Affairs. @HPevkur of @MoD_Estonia on X.

Chapters

1. Estonia's Defense Minister on Baltic Security: Undercurrents Part 1 (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to Undercurrents Series on Maritime Security (00:00:36)

3. Introduction to Hanno Pevkur Estonia's Defense Minister (00:01:07)

4. UN SC Voiced Disputes over Jaguar Incident and UNCLOS in the Baltic (00:01:25)

5. Persistent Threats in the Baltic and the Jaguar Incident Explained (00:06:46)

6. Russia's Accusation of Piracy and Interpretation of UNCLOS on Sanctions and Rite of Passage (00:10:13)

7. Air Space Violation and Possible Request of NATO (00:14:38)

8. Response to Flag States Registering Sanctioned Vessels in the Shadow Fleet (00:18:50)

9. Russia's Frozen Assets Decision (00:21:41)

10. NATO Defense Spending Targets (00:24:25)

11. Zapad Exercise (00:29:21)

12. Meeting with Ukraine Contact Group and then NATO (00:31:35)

13. China's Influence (00:34:54)