There is no question of a blockade of the Russian exclave, according to EU ambassador Markus Ederer, because goods that are not on the sanctions list simply enter Kaliningrad. He therefore advised Russia to resolve the issue with Lithuania through diplomatic channels. The ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell rallied behind Lithuania yesterday. Ederer also supports the actions: “Lithuania is not taking unilateral measures, but is implementing EU sanctions,” said the ambassador.
Russia threatens retaliation
The Russian ministry has demanded in a statement “immediate” resumption of freight traffic to the exclave, and threatened retaliation. According to Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, these will “have a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania.” Patrushev had traveled to Kaliningrad on Tuesday to chair a meeting on the security situation there.
Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave sandwiched between EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania, is normally half supplied by rail from Russia. But since last Saturday, EU sanctions have come into effect that ban not only the import but also the transport of certain goods.
Alcoholic beverages
At present, for example, steel is no longer entering Kaliningrad. The rules will soon also apply to concrete, alcoholic drinks and coal, and from December to oil from Russia. According to Kaliningrad governor Anton Alichanov, a total of 40 to 50 percent of all types of goods imported into the region are on the sanctions list.
If the land blockade continues, Alikhanov wants to bring cargo ships from St. Petersburg in order to properly supply his province. A complete blockade would require twenty ships, while now only four are sailing. In addition, the cargo terminal in Kaliningrad would have to be expanded for this.
‘A violation of everything’
Moscow reacted furiously on Monday to the partial blockade of goods traffic through Lithuania. “This has never been seen before, it is a violation of everything,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. According to him, the partial blockade is ‘illegal’. The sanctions are said to violate a 2002 treaty between Russia and the EU. The foreign ministry spoke of an “openly hostile” decision and threatened that Russia “will take action to protect its national interests”.
Lithuania emphasized that it is carrying out all its actions in close coordination with the EU, and that it has not introduced any ‘unilateral, individual or additional’ restrictions. EU foreign affairs chief Borrell confirmed this, calling the Russian allegations “pure propaganda.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Koeleba also expressed his admiration for Vilnius’ ‘principled attitude’.
Lithuania is together with Poland, Estonia and Latvia for a hard course against Moscow. The country has been battling Russian disinformation campaigns for years and, in addition to Kaliningrad – where Russia has stationed both its Baltic Fleet and nuclear weapons – also borders Russia’s ally Belarus. Earlier this month, an MP from Putin’s United Russia party introduced a bill to declare illegitimate Lithuania’s independence, which it enforced after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
