Russia Demands Lithuania Lift Kaliningrad Transit Ban Immediately
- Russia Demands Lithuania Lift Kaliningrad Transit Ban Immediately
by EURACTIV.com with Reuters, https://www.euractiv.com/
Russia on Monday (20 June) demanded that Lithuania immediately lift a ban on the transit of some goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Russia’s foreign ministry summoned Lithuania’s top envoy in Moscow to deliver a protest while the Kremlin said the situation was beyond serious.
–
“The situation is more than serious,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “This decision is really unprecedented. It’s a violation of everything.” Russia’s foreign ministry demanded Vilnius reverse what it cast as an “openly hostile” move immediately.
–
“If cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the Russian Federation via Lithuania is not fully restored in the near future, then Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests,” it said.
–
Lithuanian authorities banned the transit of goods which are sanctioned by the European Union across its territory, which includes the only rail route between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea. Banned goods include coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology.
–
read more.
end