Russia has warned Lithuania of “serious” consequences after it banned the rail transfer of some goods to the Russian territory of Kaliningrad.
Russia “will certainly respond to such hostile actions,” senior security official Nikolai Patrushev said.
Lithuania says it is only following the EU sanctions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kaliningrad – a strategic region where Russia’s Baltic Fleet is headquartered – has no border with mainland Russia.
The western territory was annexed from Germany after World War Two in 1945 and is bordered by EU and Nato members Lithuania and Poland.
The region – where an estimated one million people live – relies heavily on imports of raw materials and spare parts from Russia and the EU.
Regional Governor Anton Alikhanov said the ban would cover around 50% of the items that Kaliningrad imports.
During a visit on Tuesday to Kaliningrad, Mr. Patrushev said the blockade by Lithuania was instigated by the West “in violation of… international law”.
The secretary of Russia’s Security Council warned that “appropriate measures” would be taken “in the near future”.
“Their consequences will have a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania,” he added, without giving any further details.
Earlier Tuesday, the EU ambassador was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry over the blockade.
Last week, the Lithuanian authorities announced they would ban goods subject to EU sanctions from passing through their territory to Kaliningrad.
The EU has echoed Lithuania’s statement, saying that the country is just implementing sanctions imposed by the EU due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions list includes coal, metals, construction materials, and advanced technology. Lithuania is protected by collective defense treaties as a member of the Nato military alliance.
Russian officials are furious with Lithuania – and the EU – over the ban on the transit of some goods to Kaliningrad. They’re likening it to a blockade.
But when the foreign ministry in Moscow says “Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests”, what exactly does it mean? What actions and when?
On Monday, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, noted that “the situation is really very serious and requires a very deep analysis before preparing any measures or any decisions. This thorough analysis will be carried out over the next few days.”
Today, one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, Nikolai Patrushev, flew to the Kaliningrad region to discuss “national security in north-west Russia”. Mr. Patrushev is secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council. Officials claim the visit was planned long in advance. What a coincidence.
When it comes to “national security”, Kaliningrad is a key location. Russia’s Baltic fleet has its headquarters there. And Moscow has previously deployed nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles to the Kaliningrad region.
