Russia protests new NATO naval command center in Rostock, Germany, citing 1990 agreement breach
Russia claims that the inauguration of a new naval command center in the city of Rostock represents an expansion of NATO infrastructure in the former East Germany, potentially breaching an agreement made during the German reunification in 1990.
On Monday, October 21, a new tactical naval headquarters opened in Rostock. This center is tasked with carrying out several NATO operations, prompting an official protest from Russia. On October 22, Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned Germany's ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, to express their grievances, reports Bild.
Journalists from the publication point out that the new facility should be considered a hub for the German Navy with international involvement rather than a NATO headquarters. Rostock will not serve as a permanent deployment site for NATO forces.
Despite this distinction, Russia's Foreign Ministry insists that the establishment of the command center violates the “Two Plus Four Agreement” of 1990, which prohibited the deployment of foreign troops on the territory of the former GDR .
Russian officials warn that NATO's military build-up could have adverse consequences and demand clarifications from Berlin.
Germany's Federal Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, who led the inaugural ceremony, emphasized the facility's critical role in maritime security and the defense of NATO's Eastern flank, noting the Baltic Sea region faces regular challenges from Russia. The center will monitor developments in the region and coordinate naval activities among NATO allies.
“It commands naval operations during peacetime, crises, and war,” explained Pistorius.
The leadership of the new center has been assigned to German Admiral Stefan Gaisch for the next four years, after which Poland and Sweden will take their turns.
Pistorius also pointed out that Russian air forces deliberately provoke and violate the airspace of Germany and its partners. Russian research vessels have been observed moving "suspiciously close" to crucial infrastructure points, pipelines, and wind farms.
Moreover, Germany’s Defense Minister warned about Russia bolstering its presence in the Baltic Sea, establishing a heavily armed "fortress" in the Kaliningrad region equipped with “hundreds of missiles that could target and reach European capitals.”
During a press briefing on October 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO without its occupied territories. He reassured that Ukraine is not entertaining any notion of trading territories occupied by Russia for NATO membership, despite this idea possibly arising among some partners.