Russia sees Vistula Spit canal as a threat: American think-tank

The American think-tank Jamestown Foundation discussed the Russian opinion on the digging of the Vistula Spit Canal in northern Poland saying that Moscow sees it as a threat to its security and will try to mobilise environmentalists and Polish opposition against it.

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The construction of a canal cutting through the Vistula Spit will provide the Vistula Lagoon with independent access to the Baltic Sea. Today, Polish ships sailing into and out of the Vistula Lagoon need to use the Russian-administered Strait of Baltiysk.

The work over the investment has already started, the area has been cleared and the workers began digging the canal itself which is scheduled to be ready in 2022.

According to the Russian analysts, quoted in the think-tank’s commentary, especially Russian security analyst Fyodor Koloksov and his text in “Rythm of Euroasia” journal, the Jamestown Foundation writes that Russia does not believe in official economic reasons why Poland conducts such an investment.

“The whole project reflects Polish ‘paranoia’ about Russia and a desire by Warsaw and its NATO allies to gain access to the waters adjoining Kaliningrad in order to threaten or even attack that Russian region from the sea or by landing marines,” the foundation quotes the Russian analyst.

The think-tank added that “Moscow still hopes to kill the project by mobilising opposition among environmentalists in Poland and Europe and by supporting the opposition to the Polish government.”

The whole text of the Jamestown Foundation can be found at this address.