• Vilnius has restricted the transit of products sanctioned by the European Union across Lithuanian territory to and from Kaliningrad.
• Russia’s foreign ministry urged that Vilnius immediately reconsider what it called a “openly hostile” decision.
• Lithuania claimed it was only carrying out EU sanctions.

On Monday, Russia warned NATO member Lithuania that unless cargo transportation to Russia’s Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad was quickly resumed, Moscow will take unspecified actions to protect its national interests.

Vilnius has restricted the transit of products sanctioned by the European Union across Lithuanian territory to and from the exclave, citing EU sanction laws, with east-west ties at a half-century low following Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian foreign ministry summoned Lithuania’s senior envoy to Moscow to deliver a complaint, while the Kremlin stated that the situation was “very serious.”

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, told reporters, “The situation is more than severe.” “This is a very historic judgement. It’s a blatant violation of every rule.”

Russia’s foreign ministry urged that Vilnius immediately reconsider what it called a “openly hostile” decision.

“If freight transportation between the Kaliningrad area and the rest of the Russian Federation is not fully restored in the near future,” it stated, “Russia has the right to take actions to protect its national interests.”

Kaliningrad, once the port of Koenigsberg and the capital of East Prussia, was liberated from Nazi Germany by the Red Army in April 1945 and handed over to the Soviet Union following WWII. Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members, are situated between it.

Lithuania claimed it was only carrying out EU sanctions, which are part of a slew of measures aimed at punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. find out more

“It’s not Lithuania doing anything,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters in Luxembourg. “It’s European sanctions that started operating on June 17th.”

“It was done with European Commission consultation and in accordance with European Commission norms,” Landsbergis said.

Clients of Lithuania’s state-owned railway were warned on June 17 that sanctioned items such as steel and iron would not be allowed to transit the country, according to Landsbergis.

Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice President of the European Commission, said he spoke with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who indicated Vilnius was enforcing EU penalties.

“Clearly, we need to gather all facts and ramifications,” Dombrovskis added, “but as President Nauseda explained, what Lithuania is doing is imposing EU sanctions.”

“So, in this case, if the EU sanctions are being applied, it’s clear that we need to be alongside our member states as they impose the sanctions.”