Russia-Lithuania dispute over Kaliningrad blockade: USA present themselves to "NATO allies"

Created: 06/22/2022, 11:15 am

By: Katja Thorwarth

Russia warns West over Lithuanian blockade of Russian exclave of Kaliningrad

The USA presents itself to the “NATO allies”.

Update from Wednesday, June 22, 11:00 a.m .:

In the dispute over the restrictions on freight traffic in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the United States took 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.

A Russian army vehicle during a military exercise in the Kaliningrad region.

(Archive photo) © Mikhail Golenkov / Imago Images

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 from 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 serious negative effects on the Lithuanian population”.

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.

Appropriate 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

Initial reporting on Tuesday, June 21:

MOSCOW - The Kremlin has reacted angrily to Lithuania's restrictions on rail transit between Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and the mainland.

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 stressed that the measures were in line with EU sanctions, but that the guidelines on the sanctions would be examined.

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According to the Foreign Ministry, the Lithuanian chargé d'affaires was summoned to Moscow 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's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the measures were in line with the EU's response to the Russian war of aggression against the EU 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.

Kaliningrad has no direct access to mainland Russia.

© IMAGO/Mikhail Golenkov

Landsbergis said on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers' consultations in Luxembourg that the transport restrictions would 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 two other Baltic countries Latvia and Estonia are already extremely tense due to the Ukraine war.

The Baltic states fear becoming the next target of Russian military aggression as the countries belong to both the EU and NATO.

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.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, which is currently suffering from Russian attacks mainly from the Black Sea, underlined its solidarity with Lithuania.

"Russia has no right to threaten Lithuania," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

"We welcome Lithuania's principled position and firmly support our Lithuanian friends." (ktho/AFP)