MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Alliance has long been dreaming of turning the Baltic Sea into its internal lake, but such an outcome will never come to pass, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters.

"We know that some politicians and NATO strategists dream of turning the Baltic Sea into NATO’s internal lake. This will never happen," the senior Russian diplomat said.

The idea of closing the Baltic Sea to Russian ships that certain members of the bloc are currently floating, prompted by their probe into the recent Balticconnector gas pipeline incident, would be "in gross violation of international maritime law, something that NATO countries and especially the United States have been cautioned against at every turn," he warned.

"Brussels and other NATO capitals must realize how severe the consequences of such a move could be," Grushko underscored.