Russia left the Baltic Sea States Council amid a standoff with the West over the war against Ukraine

Russia says it is quitting the Council of the Baltic Sea States, accusing the organization of becoming “an instrument of anti-Russian policy” and “increasingly bogged down in russophobia and lies.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 17, 2022, that it is leaving the regional grouping, which also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the European Union amid tensions with the West over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The statement came as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country would intensify its military collaboration with Sweden and Finland as the two countries seek NATO membership in the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

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