Kaliningrad crisis escalates – Russia threatens “retaliation” – Lithuania: “We are ready”

Created: 06/22/2022, 18:33

By: Richard Strobl

Soldiers of the Bundeswehr of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group (eFP battalion) stand at Camp Adrian Rohn during Chancellor Scholz's visit.

© Michael Kappeler/dpa

The Kaliningrad scandal between Russia and the EU country Lithuania is coming to a head.

Moscow threatens "retaliation".

Kaliningrad - The scandal surrounding the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the sidelines of the Ukraine war continues to escalate.

Russia has now threatened EU country Lithuania with "retaliation" for restricting rail travel to Kaliningrad.

Lithuania sees itself armed against the next steps from Moscow.

When it comes to transit restrictions, Lithuania relies on the applicable sanctions against Russia.

The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova now threatened "practical retaliatory measures".

The answer from Russia will be "not in the diplomatic, but in the practical area".

They said they would respond in the next few days.

Kaliningrad crisis: Russia threatens Lithuania with 'retaliation'

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also spoke again from the Kremlin itself.

Accordingly, the restrictions contradict the “fundamental agreements” between the EU and Russia.

The 1994 agreement provides for free transit of goods.

However, Lithuania sees itself well prepared for Russian countermeasures.

"We are ready and we are ready for unfriendly actions on the part of Russia, disconnection from the BRELL system or other actions," President Gitanas Nauseda told Reuters.

Even the exclusion from the joint power grid with Russia is therefore not a problem.

In addition, the threats from Russia were called "presumptuous".

Kaliningrad crisis: Lithuania sees itself prepared - Germany warns Kremlin

The federal government warned Russia against countermeasures that violate international law.

"We call on Russia not to take any measures that violate international law," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Wednesday.

Hebestreit pointed out that Lithuania's actions are within the framework of the EU sanctions decisions.

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.

"We therefore clearly reject countermeasures announced by Russia," he emphasized.

During his visit to Lithuania in early June, Chancellor Scholz pledged additional military support to defend against a possible Russian attack.

Previously, a German-led NATO battalion with 1,600 soldiers was stationed in Lithuania, including more than 1,000 soldiers from the Bundeswehr.

Kaliningrad is located on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland and has no direct land connection to Russia.

EU member Lithuania announced last week that it would restrict rail traffic between Russia and its exclave.

Goods that fall under the EU sanctions against Russia can no longer be brought by rail from Russia to Kaliningrad via Lithuania.

These include above all metals, building materials, technology goods and coal.

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According to Kaliningrad governor Anton Alikhanov, 40 to 50 percent of imports could be affected by what he calls a "blockade".

The head of the National Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, then announced retaliatory measures with "serious negative consequences for the population of Lithuania".