Russia withdrew from the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) citing the “hostile actions” of other member states, according to a declaration from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The ministry claimed that the CBSS had taken “illegal and discriminatory decisions” against Russia and Belarus had its observer status suspended as well.
The Foreign Ministry stated that Russia had been effectively “suspended” from the Council’s work and projects, with Belarus similarly suspended as an observer. It argued that long-standing contradictions within the CBSS had intensified in recent years. Western governments allegedly sought to politicize the organization and push their ideology inside the CBSS framework, leading to what Russia described as the monopolization of the Council by NATO and EU member states to Russia’s detriment.
Under these conditions, Moscow concluded that restoring normal work within the CBSS was unlikely, describing the environment as an impasse marked by anti-Russian sentiment and misinformation. It asserted that Russia’s presence in the CBSS was neither appropriate nor efficient at this time.
Separately, the Ministry accused the CBSS of misappropriating Russia’s membership fees, claiming that Russia had contributed to the CBSS budget but that those funds had been taken and would not be returned due to sanctions. The ministry added that ending Russia’s CBSS membership would not affect Russia’s regional footprint and warned that attempts to remove Russia from the Baltic region would fail.
Russia announced its withdrawal from the Baltic Sea States Council and all related projects in early March. The decision was reportedly unanimous among the ten members of the CBSS: Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Finland, Germany, and Sweden. The move followed Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, with the CBSS condemning Moscow for violating the founding principles of the organization.
The CBSS noted that Moscow’s actions warranted strong conclusions and stated that cooperation with the Russian Federation could not continue under the prevailing circumstances. It stressed that Russia should neither benefit from CBSS-led cooperation nor participate in its programs at that time. Belarus likewise faced a loss of observer status, with the CBSS clarifying that Minsk had contributed to Russia’s aggression by permitting operations on its territory and, therefore, bore responsibility.
The CBSS added that Russia’s membership could be restored if cooperation were conducted without violating the organization’s fundamental principles of international law. Established in 1992, the CBSS includes European Union members and the European Commission, with several states participating as observers. A similar pattern had emerged earlier with Russia in the Council of Europe: after the onset of hostilities in Ukraine, Russia briefly lost seats in the Council’s cabinet and parliamentary assembly, while remaining a member of the Council in other capacities. In mid-March, amid discussions within the parliamentary assembly about Russia’s actions, Moscow announced its resignation from the Council itself. The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated that Western countries had taken control of the CBSS and pursued an anti-Russian policy, while asserting that Western statements about the Ukraine conflict bore little relation to reality. On the same day, CBSS members voted unanimously to exclude the Russian Federation from the organization, marking a significant shift in regional diplomacy and security alignment.