Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson reported that at least one undersea cable connecting Sweden and Latvia has been damaged. This incident follows similar cases reported in the past two months between Lithuania and Sweden, Germany and Finland, and Estonia and Finland.

“There is information suggesting that at least one data cable between Sweden and Latvia has been damaged in the Baltic Sea. The cable is owned by a Latvian entity. I have been in close contact with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina throughout the day,” Kristersson wrote on X.

On 14 January, from Helsinki, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the Alliance would launch a new mission in the Baltic with new ships and dedicated aviation and new supporting technology, including ‘a small fleet of undersea drones’, to protect critical infrastructure from sabotage.

von der Leyen: ‘Full solidarity with the countries bordering the Baltic Sea’

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed strong solidarity with the EU countries bordering the Baltic Sea following the damage to an undersea data cable between Sweden and Latvia. Von der Leyen emphasised the importance of securing critical infrastructure, stating, “The resilience and security of our critical infrastructure is a top priority.” She further reaffirmed the EU Commission’s commitment to enhancing detection, prevention, and repair efforts in collaboration with global partners.

President Donald Trump is calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “make a deal” to end the “ridiculous” war with Ukraine, which started nearly three years ago. During his 2024 campaign, Trump often spoke about ending major world conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, invoking former President Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine. Now that he’s in office, Trump is making it clear that it’s time for Putin to come to the table.

“I’m not looking to hurt Russia,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. In the post, Trump threatens “high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States.” This threat comes days after reports that Putin was starting to get concerned about his country’s economy as the war with Ukraine continues.

TRUMP CALLS ON PUTIN TO MAKE A DEAL, END ITS WAR AGAINST UKRAINE OR FACE MORE ECONOMIC PRESSURE

Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner, believes now is the time for Trump to show strength and bring an end to the war.

“Russia’s relentless invasion demands lasting international security guarantees. Any peace deal must confront Russia’s hostility to safeguard Ukraine and the very foundations of freedom and democracy,” Matviichuk said in a statement.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Matviichuk emphasized the need to not only end the war that began in February 2022, but also to block Putin from achieving his “geopolitical goal,” as she believes the Russian leader has no interest in peace.

“When we design this peace process, we have to design security guarantees, which will make this [geopolitical] goal for Putin impossible to achieve,” Matviichuk said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks during a press conference in Kyiv on May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

On Thursday, Trump told reporters at the White House that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already told him he’s ready to negotiate an end to the war.

UKRAINE: HOW THE WAR SHIFTED IN 2024

In his first sit-down interview since returning to the White House, Trump told “Hannity” that Zelenskyy has “had enough.” However, while Trump condemned Putin, he said that Zelenskyy is “no angel,” chastising the Ukrainian leader for fighting instead of making a deal.

Reuters reported in November that Putin is open to discussing a peace plan. He reportedly could agree to freeze the conflict along the current lines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin uses state-run media to spread the Kremlin’s message. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Since Putin’s 2022 invasion, civilians in Ukraine have had to adjust to life during war. Matviichuk, who is based out of Kyiv, describes it as living in “total uncertainty.” However, her focus has been on exposing Russia’s atrocities. Nearly three years into the war, she has cataloged approximately 80,000 Russian crimes. 

“We don’t want to live in Putin’s world,” Matviichuk said. “We want to live in a world where democracy and rule of law and freedom are respected.”

Ashley Carnahan and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.