Russia warns West over Lithuanian blockade of Russian exclave of Kaliningrad The USA presents itself to the “NATO allies”.
+++ 4.15 p.m.: Russia has threatened Lithuania with retaliation in the dispute over transit restrictions to Kaliningrad. In a press briefing on Wednesday, Maria Zakharova, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, threatened that an answer would be “not in the diplomatic, but in the practical sphere” if the EU does not lift its restrictions. However, there were no specific details in their statements. There was also a statement from the Kremlin. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the transit restrictions contradicted “the basic documents” of the partnership between Russia and Lithuania. Peskov referred to an agreement from 1994. A reaction to the provocation is currently being prepared, the Kremlin spokesman said.
+++ 3 p.m.: The federal government warned Russia of an escalation in Lithuania. “We therefore clearly reject countermeasures announced by Russia,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit on Wednesday in Berlin. “We call on Russia not to take any measures that violate international law.” The transit of certain sanctioned goods through Lithuania to Kaliningrad is prohibited, but persons and non-sanctioned goods are not affected by the ban, the government spokesman emphasized.
+++ 11.30 a.m.: The exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea is part of Russia, but has been between Poland and Lithuania since the collapse of the Soviet Union – two countries that belong to the EU and NATO and are among the most important supporters of the government in Kyiv in the Ukraine war. Now Lithuania has blocked shipments of coal, metals, building materials and high technology from Russia to Kaliningrad. According to the Ria Novosti news agency, Russia has now responded to the blockade. Russia sees the action as “hostile” and is therefore not ready for talks. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that the situation required a “thorough analysis”. “Reprisals” would then be taken.
Update from Wednesday, June 22, 11:00 a.m.: In the dispute over restrictions on freight traffic to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the United States has taken a protective stance against Lithuania. Following Moscow’s threat that Russia would “respond to such hostile actions,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday that Washington stands by its “NATO allies,” including Lithuania.
Price expressly referred to article five of the NATO treaty, according to which an attack on an allied country is regarded as an attack on all. He stressed that the US commitment to this article was “inevitable”.
+++ 4.30 p.m.: According to Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhardtz of the German Air Force, NATO should take the threats from Russia seriously. One must be prepared for the nuclear threat and be able to deter Moscow if necessary. “For a reliable deterrent, we need both the means and the political will,” said Gerhardtz at the “Kiel International Seapower Symposium” (KISS). The inspector of the German Air Force explicitly included nuclear weapons among the means.
+++ 12.45 p.m.: Russia has announced retaliatory measures against Lithuania that “will have a serious negative impact on the Lithuanian people”. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said Moscow would soon respond to Lithuania’s blocking of supplies of coal, metals, building materials and high technology from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad.
Corresponding measures are currently being worked out in a “interdepartmental format and will be taken in the near future,” Patrushev is quoted as saying by Interfax. His warning came as retired Russian general Evgeny Buzhinsky was urging Putin to send nuclear weapons to Kaliningrad.
Blockade of Kaliningrad: Moscow threatens EU member Lithuania
First report from Tuesday, June 21: MOSCOW — The Kremlin has angered at Lithuania’s restrictions on rail transit between the to Russia belonging to the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and the heartland. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Lithuania of “openly hostile” restrictions on rail freight traffic, while reserving “the right to take action to protect its national interests”. Meanwhile, Brussels emphasized that the measures were in place Compliant with EU sanctionsbut the guidelines on sanctions would be examined.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lithuanian chargé d’affaires in Moscow summoned to protest against the “provocative” measures. From the Russian point of view, the restriction on the delivery of goods violates an agreement between Russia and the EU from 2002. However, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the measures were in line with those imposed by the EU because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine imposed sanctions.
Kaliningrad: 40 to 50 percent of Russian imports affected by the blockade
Kaliningrad is located on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland and has no direct land connection to Russia. The port city is home to the Russian Baltic Sea fleet, and Russia says it has stationed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles there.
Landsbergis said on the sidelines of the deliberations EU-Foreign Minister in Luxembourg, the transport restrictions affect steel products and other goods made from iron ore. As the governor of Kaliningrad, Anton Alikhanov, explained, 40 to 50 percent of imports could be affected by the blockade – in addition to metal, coal, building materials and technological goods.
Ukraine war: relations between Russia and Lithuania strained
The Kremlin spoke of an “unprecedented” decision by Lithuania that violated all principles. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized the seriousness of the situation, which is now being examined with a view to “reactions”. He did not specify the nature of these countermeasures.
The relations between Russia and Lithuania as well as the other two Baltic countries Latvia and Estonia are through the Ukraine war extremely tense anyway. The Baltic states fear becoming the next target of Russian military aggression as the countries of both the EU and Nato belong.
Regarding the freight restrictions, Landsbergis said: “It’s not Lithuania that is doing something – it’s the European sanctions that came into force on June 17.” The restrictions are “in consultation with the European Commission and in accordance with the directives of the European Commission “ has been implemented.
Ukraine shows solidarity with Lithuania
For his part, EU foreign policy chief Borrell emphasized that it was not a matter of a “blockade” of Kaliningrad, but merely a ban on the transport of certain types of goods. “Transit by land between Russia has not been stopped or banned,” he said at a news conference in Luxembourg. However, the EU will review the guidelines on sanctions again, Borrell promised.
the Ukrainewhich is currently under Russian attacks mainly from the Black Sea from, meanwhile underlined her solidarity with Lithuania. “Russia has no right to threaten Lithuania,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter. “We welcome Lithuania’s principled position and resolutely support our Lithuanian friends.” (ktho/marv with dpa/AFP)