The Baltic Sea in peace, crisis and war: time to get more serious about the maritime domain?

ENOver the last five years, since the start of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, NATO has been in the process of rapid adaptation to a new geopolitical reality. Part of this broad adaptation involved establishing forward presence in its eastern flank, including the Baltic area. Some of the most visible measures were implemented in the land domain, with the deployment of the multinational battalion battlegroups to the Baltic states and Poland, focus on cross-border military mobility and enhanced programme of military exercises as key elements. The air domain is also receiving significant attention, with the Baltic states in particular pressing for more allied air defence assets in the region and for transforming the Baltic Air Policing into an air defence mission. However, the maritime domain has not been as prominent in terms of public policy debates or visibility of practical steps undertaken in the Baltic area. This article aims to cast more light on what is being done and what is necessary to ensure security, deterrence and defence in the Baltic Sea - a body of water of pivotal economic and strategic importance to most of its littoral states. [...].