Abstract
The paper presents the concept of how the Baltic Sea and sub-Baltic region can be used in Russian marine strategy. Owing to its marine potential this strategy is a significant element of the Russian Federation’s international impact and expanding its political and economic influence. Russian strategy perceives the Baltic Sea as the most important exchange route of commodities with European states, that allows the Russian Federation to mitigate the level of threats related to the requirement to use transit traffic. The sub-Baltic region is treated as an area of politico- economic cooperation leading to two primary outcomes. The first one concerns the independence of the Kaliningrad Oblast, which will let it be fully included in Russian projects to construct transportation networks to Western Europe within the framework of regional development programs. The second outcome involves the development of such politico-economic connections between the Baltic states that will prevent the curbing of Russian plans to use the Baltic as a significant commercial route, primarily with respect to the transport of oil.