Faroe Islands warns Denmark not to probe Russian ships’ presence

It is up to the Faroe Islands to react to the presence of Russian fishing ships in its harbours, Faroese Foreign Minister Høgni Hoydal warned Copenhagen following accusations that Russian fishing ships docking there were being used for espionage.

The Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark, with its own government and legal system, but are still part of Denmark. Copenhagen is responsible for the Faroe Islands’ foreign affairs and defence, but they have the right to negotiate international agreements in areas of their competence, namely regarding trade and fishing.

“The Faroe Islands are fully capable of assessing what is happening in their territory,” said Faroese Foreign Minister Høgni Hoydal.

Hoydal’s statement came after a group of Nordic media reported that two Russian fishing vessels with military radio equipment on board were discovered to have docked more than 200 times in Faroese harbours between 2015 and 2022. These ships are suspected of having been used for espionage.

Søren Pape Poulsen, leader of the opposition Danish Conservative Party, declared that the ships carrying Russian military equipment fall under the foreign and security policy areas and are, therefore, a matter to be dealt with by Copenhagen.

In his own words, he is “completely indifferent” to the fisheries agreements the Faroe Islands have with Russia and wants the Faroe Islands to put an immediate stop to the docking and presence of all Russian ships.

However, the Faroese chair of the Faroese government’s foreign affairs committee disagreed and declared that statements like Søren Pape’s could be seen as an attempt to disable democracy in the Faroe Islands by trying to make Russian ships in the Faroese seas a Danish matter.

“I would say to Søren Pape that we know this automatic reaction, where you play the imperial card, and I can’t quite see what good it does,” he told P1 Morgen Monday morning, adding that “the rumours about the Faroe Islands’ naivety in major political matters and in the world situation we are in are greatly exaggerated.”

The Faroe Islands, which is not a member of the EU, supported the sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine while preserving their long-standing trade relationship with Russia. Sanctions allow countries to exempt trade in food products, and the Faroe Islands thus allowed the largest Russian fishing vessels into Faroese harbours – unlike Denmark and the EU.

According to Hoydal, the Faroese authorities have tightened controls on all fishing and transport of goods and the activity that comes from it. He added that all illegal activities in Faroese waters would have consequences.

However, Hoydal declared that he hears different nuances in the Danish government’s statement on the matter than from the leader of the Conservative Party as Denmark’s acting Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (Liberal Party, Renew Europe) stressed that the Faroese fisheries agreement with Russia is a Faroese matter.

“I am not in a position to interfere in that. But having said that, it is clear that if there is espionage against the Danish Realm, Denmark also must ensure that it does not take place”, Lund Poulsen said.

On Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian presidential office, denied in a statement that Russia is mapping the infrastructure of offshore wind farms, gas pipelines, power and internet cables in the Nordic region.

(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)