Kremlin: Any Threats to Russia Are "Unacceptable"

The Kremlin stated on Monday that "any threats directed at Russia are unacceptable" after the President of Latvia suggested that NATO should close the Baltic Sea to shipping if it is found that Moscow is responsible for damage to a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow's denial of any involvement in the damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and communications cable on October 8. Finnish investigators have indicated that "the damage may have been caused by sabotage, but they have not yet concluded whether it was an accident or a deliberate act." Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said in a television interview last week that "NATO should close the Baltic Sea to ships if it is proven that Russia is responsible for the damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline." He reiterated that "Russia has no connection to this incident."