The threat has the merit of being clear. Russia on Tuesday promised “serious” measures against Lithuania, which has introduced restrictions for certain goods transiting to Kaliningrad Oblast, a strategic and militarized enclave, headquarters of the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea. This is one of the consequences of European sanctions against Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.
“Russia, of course, will react to such hostile acts. Appropriate measures are being developed at interministerial level and will be adopted shortly. They will have serious negative consequences for the people of Lithuania,” said Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, during a visit to Kaliningrad, quoted by the Interfax agency.
For his part, the governor of Kaliningrad, Anton Alikhanov, estimated that between 40% and 50% of the enclave’s imports could be subject to the restrictions, from coal to metals, including construction materials and technological goods. . He also denounced a “blockade”.
European measures
Russia has also accused the European Union (EU) of encouraging an “escalation” of tensions. “We demanded an immediate restoration of transit to Kaliningrad. Otherwise, reprisals will follow,” Russian diplomacy said in a statement, after summoning the head of the EU delegation to Russia to the Foreign Ministry.
Lithuania applies European sanctions on the transit of certain types of exports between Russia and Kaliningrad, but does not impose any blockade on the Russian enclave. “Overland transit between Russia and Kaliningrad has not been stopped or banned. That of passengers and goods continues, ”said the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on Monday. “Lithuania is applying EU sanctions” without having “adopted any unilateral restrictions”, he insisted.
This Monday, Moscow had already threatened to respond to the introduction of “hostile” restrictions on the transit of certain goods, via Lithuania, to its enclave of Kaliningrad.