Russian government website removes draft law on changing maritime borders in the Baltic Sea

A draft law from the Russian Defence Ministry regarding unilateral changes to borders with neighbouring countries in the Baltic Sea has disappeared from the Russian government's website.

As reported by Radio Liberty Russia, the draft law, which caught The Moscow Times' attention on Tuesday, is now absent from the government's website. An archived copy of the bill’s description proposed by the Russian Defence Ministry remains available for review.

On Tuesday, a draft law was noticed on the government's website indicating Russia's intentions to declare some of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland as its internal waters, as well as near the cities of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in Kaliningrad Oblast.

They intended to change the geographical coordinates of points that determine the positions of baseline from which the width of Russia's territorial sea and adjacent zone near the coast and islands are measured.

After the news emerged, Lithuania called it a provocation. Finland stated that it was "clarifying details." 

The Estonian Foreign Minister suggested that the purpose of the appearance of this document was to "sow confusion."

Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the Estonian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was time for NATO to "wake up" and prove its ability to respond adequately to threats, particularly after Moscow's hints at plans to redraw the border in the Baltic Sea.