The Operational Dialogue is a NATO forum for international discussions on the operational situation in the Baltic Sea. Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine in violation of international law, Alliance members bordering the Baltic Sea, and other NATO countries, have held regular meetings at the operational level. This time, the Bundeswehr Joint Force Command was hosting. Its Commander, Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, welcomed representatives of NATO and twelve member countries in Dresden.
In December 2025, Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, Commander of the Bundeswehr Joint Force Command (front and centre), welcomed commanders from twelve NATO member states to the Operational Dialogue in Dresden.
Bundeswehr/Anne WeinrichRussia’s shadow fleet, hybrid attacks on the dense network of power and communications cables as well as pipelines on the seafloor: The security situation in the Baltic Sea has not been this tense for decades. At the same time, nearly all neighbouring states have an interest in open trade and supply routes. The Baltic Sea is among the world’s most frequented maritime areas, and the potential threats can only be countered at the multinational level.
The 2025 Operational Dialogue from 3 to 5 December focused on how to ensure that these threats are countered in peacetime, during joint exercises and even in times of crisis. After previous meetings in Finland, Poland and Sweden, the Bundeswehr Joint Force Command hosted the event in Germany this time. Representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden as well as the NATO command level attended the meeting in Dresden.
In his welcome address, Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius emphasised the importance of regular discussions among the Allies, also for the security situation in the Baltic Sea region. Afterwards, presentations by various experts laid the groundwork for in-depth discussions on developments in the security situation in the Baltic Sea region from the perspective of each Ally.
In a guest lecture, Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch, Commander of Task Force Baltic (CTF Baltic), explained the ongoing Baltic Maritime Exercise Programme. For about a year now, his staff has planned, coordinated and exercised command and control over maritime activities in the Baltic Sea on behalf of NATO, ensuring security on and under the water. The personnel from 13 member states see themselves as a link between the national navies with their ships and boats at sea and the NATO command level. They have also been coordinating the Baltic Sentry reconnaissance and surveillance mission for over 280 days.
On the sidelines of the event, Lieutenant General Sollfrank and Rear Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas, Chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, agreed to hold regular staff talks. In view of the special partnership between Germany and Lithuania, they are both convinced that this will further enhance the already close collaboration between the two countries’ armed forces.
The Operational Dialogue was framed by a reception of the guests by Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of Saxony, in the Saxon State Chancellery, as well as a group visit to the Bundeswehr Museum of Military History. In the end, everyone agreed that this kind of regular forum for discussion strengthens cooperation at the operational level and mutual understanding of the challenges neighbours and Allies are facing.
by Michael Wils-Kudiabor
