The summit is hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, and includes heads of state from Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, as well as a European Commission top official.
So far, affected countries have not been able to definitively pin the attacks on Moscow — a common challenge with so-called hybrid attacks, of which attacks on critical infrastructure are one type.
NATO’s efforts will involve stepping up surveillance in the area, Rutte said, and integrating member countries’ national surveillance efforts for “comprehensive threat detection.”
Rutte also stressed that enforcement will be part of its response, modeled after Finland’s response to a cable cut on Christmas Day in which Finnish authorities opened a criminal investigation, imposed a travel ban on seven crew members and boarded the Eagle S ship to inspect it.
“Ship captains must understand that potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding and arrest,” Rutte said.
The alliance will also work with critical infrastructure providers so that cables are more resilient, he said.
