Moscow decries ‘brazenly opposed’ movement to limit the waft of EU-sanctioned goods to Russian exclave, as Lithuania defends measures.
Published On 20 Jun 2022
Russia’s foreign ministry has demanded the rapid lifting of Lithuania’s “brazenly opposed” restrictions on the rail transit of EU-sanctioned goods to Moscow’s exclave of Kaliningrad.
Sandwiched between European Union and NATO members Poland and Lithuania, Kaliningrad receives affords from Russia by skill of rail and fuel pipelines by Lithuania.
The Baltic nation of Lithuania launched final week that it changed into banning the rail transit of goods that are topic to EU sanctions from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad.
The list entails coal, metals, construction affords and developed skills.
“If after all to future cargo transit between the Kaliningrad order and the rest of the territory of the Russian Federation by Lithuania is now not restored in paunchy, then Russia reserves the legal to obtain actions to guard its national pursuits,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a assertion on Monday.
The ministry said it had summoned Lithuania’s price d’affaires in Moscow to screech the “bright” and “brazenly opposed” measures.
Earlier on Monday, the Kremlin said Lithuania’s decision changed into “unprecedented” and “in violation of all the pieces there is”.
“The pickle is bigger than serious and it requires a truly deep evaluation earlier than formulating any measures and choices,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told newshounds.
Lithuanian Abroad Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis defended the movement and said his country changed into simply implementing sanctions imposed by the EU, of which it is a member.
He said the measures were taken after “session with the European Price and below its pointers”.
“Sanctioned goods (will) no longer be allowed to transit Lithuanian territory,” Landsbergis added.
EU foreign protection chief Josep Borrell said Vilnius changed into following EU sanctions.
“Lithuania has now not taken any unilateral national restrictions and handiest applies the European Union sanctions,” Borrell said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
In step with Kaliningrad governor Anton Alikhanov, the ban would possess an be conscious on about 50 p.c of all imports to the exclave.
The ban changed into confirmed on Friday by the cargo arm of Lithuania’s order railway carrier in a letter to purchasers following “clarification” from the European Price on the mechanism for making utter of the sanctions.
Urging electorate now not to resort to apprehension shopping, Alikhanov said two vessels were already ferrying goods between Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg, and seven more would be in carrier by the halt of the year.
“Our ferries will tackle the total cargo”, he said on Saturday.
House to the headquarters of Russia’s Baltic sea instant, the exclave changed into captured from Nazi Germany by the Red Navy in April 1945 and ceded to the Soviet Union after World Warfare II.