Russia is expecting that NATO, along with its collaborators in other parts of the world, will block maritime chokepoints, including the Baltic Sea and Strait of Malacca. Russian Presidential Aide and Chairman of the Russian Maritime Board Nikolay Patrushev noted at the end of a four-day visit to China that maritime logistics are of great importance to both Moscow and Beijing, adding that China is a recognized global leader in international commercial shipping.

“Western countries are trying to organize the interception of our vessels. London and Brussels are drawing up plans to blockade the Baltic Sea and the straits leading into it. Other key shipping routes are also under threat,” Patrushev stressed, reported TASS.