Lithuania has banned the passage of Russian freight trains to Kaliningrad, and Moscow is threatening “serious consequences.”
Anyone traveling from Moscow to Kaliningrad by train, he will have to show his passport at three national borders: the Russian, the Belarusian and the Lithuanian. Belarus and Lithuania are located between the Russian hinterland and the Kaliningrad enclave. However, while the Belarus still allows the passage of all Russian trains, the Lithuania recently banned the passage of Russian trains with goods that are prohibited from being imported into Russia.
For Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, this is a reasonable and, above all, lawful application of EU sanctions against Russia. For Russian politicians, however, Lithuania’s move is a hostile blockade and violates international rules on trade and human rights.
The trains are loaded with coal, metal, cement, wood and other building materials, ie goods, for which EU sanctions have been imposed.
Threats from Moscow
THE The head of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, who rushed to the Russian enclave from Moscow, said in a stern tone that Russia would react to “such hostile actions”. Patrushev reportedly told a Russian news agency that the measures would have “serious negative consequences for the Lithuanian people.”
THE Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria ZakharovHe also said that Russia would “defend its national interests” if the trade was not fully restored within a few days. Both, however, did not become clearer.
Belarus and Lithuania are located between the Russian hinterland and the Kaliningrad enclave. Google Maps
Lithuania does not understand Russia’s criticism of the partial travel ban. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, the Gidauras Bartkus, from the University of Vilnius stressed that every EU country has an obligation to do everything possible to implement the EU sanctions that have been voted on. There can be no question of blockade of Kaliningrad, because not all freight trains, nor passengers, are allowed to enter the area.
Simulation of attacks in Kaliningrad
THE political scientist Lina Kogiala by the Eastern European Research Center in the Lithuanian capital accuses Moscow of taking advantage of the partial curfew for its own purposes. “The Russian side was well aware that sanctions would restrict transit and is now using this factor as a weapon in the information war.”
The Kaliningrad region is strategically very important. It is the western outpost of Moscow, where Russian forces are stationed with mobile Iskander-type ballistic missile systems. It was not until early May that Moscow officials said Russia had begun simulating rocket-propelled grenade launchers at its military bases near Kaliningrad.
A few weeks ago, the Russian parliament openly challenged Lithuania’s independencewhich was decided in 1991. In fact, a relevant draft law “on the repeal of the decision of the USSR State Council on the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania” was submitted to the Duma.
DW / Yuri Reseto, Riga / Edited by: Maria Rigoutsou
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