Russia warns Lithuania after ‘blockade’

• Lithuania has blocked rail transport of commodities subject to EU sanctions to Kaliningrad.
• Russian foreign ministry summons Lithuanian chargé d’affaires in Moscow.
• Russia could respond with “painful” actions that would be “extremely painful” for Lithuania.

Russia has warned Lithuania of retaliation after the Baltic state blocked rail transport of commodities subject to EU sanctions to the enclave of Kaliningrad.

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Monday, the Russian foreign ministry summoned the Lithuanian chargé d’affaires in Moscow to “demand an immediate repeal of the restrictions” or face “actions to defend [Russia’s] national interests,” according to a statement.

Lithuania, which controls the only overland train route connecting Kaliningrad to the Russian mainland, began blocking exports of commodities subject to EU sanctions last weekend in response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the government, oil, cement, steel, iron, coal, and other commodities accounted for slightly more than half of all Russian rail shipments to Kaliningrad.

According to Interfax, the Kremlin compared the restrictions to a “blockade” and stated that it will evaluate the situation before choosing if and how to respond.

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According to state news agency Ria Novosti, Kaliningrad’s governor Anton Alikhanov stated that the province could send the sanctioned products over the Baltic, but that the additional cost would make the trip economically unviable. He noted that Russia could respond with “fairly obvious” actions that would be “extremely painful” for Lithuania.