KALININGRAD (dpa-AFX) – After the easing of transit restrictions by the EU, the first train with previously sanctioned goods has arrived in the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad. “The train that arrived consists of 60 cars with cement,” said Dmitry Lyskov, press secretary of Kaliningrad governor Anton Alikhanov. Kaliningrad lies between the EU countries of Poland and Lithuania, around 500 kilometers from Berlin, but more than 1,000 kilometers from Moscow. In June, Lithuania stopped the transit of goods that are on the EU sanctions list between core Russia and Kaliningrad – triggering serious tensions.
Moscow threatened “practical countermeasures” if Lithuania did not allow transit again. Even the Russian-Lithuanian border treaty was publicly questioned. As a result, the EU specified its rules on sanctions more precisely. Accordingly, Russia may bring civilian goods that are on the sanctions list by rail through the EU country Lithuania without major restrictions. However, according to the document published in mid-July, road transport by Russian freight forwarders through EU territory is still prohibited. In addition, no goods that can also be used for military purposes may be transported by rail.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov welcomed the decision at the time as a victory for “common sense”. However, Moscow will monitor how the agreement is implemented./bal/DP/he