Kaliningrad

 Moscow reels and lashes out at Lithuania for cutting off Kaliningrad

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Business News: Vilnius has been ordered by Russia to immediately lift additional limitations on the flow of products through Lithuanian territory to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad which is subject to EU sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry described the Lithuanian action as "openly unfriendly," while the Kremlin referred to it as "unprecedented" and "illegal," adding that Moscow will "take actions to preserve its national interests."

Where the Pregolya River empties into the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad is squished between Lithuania and Poland. There are roughly 500,000 people living there. After threatening retaliation in response to Lithuania's prohibition on the transportation of some commodities via its territory to the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad, Russia has caused worry in Brussels.

In Moscow, where the Russian foreign ministry stated that they reserved the right to retaliate in order to preserve their national interest, the action by the administration in Vilnius was referred to as "unprecedented."

The remarks raised red flags in Brussels, where Josep Borrell, the head of the EU's foreign policy, claimed Lithuania was only carrying out the sanctions system of the organization. However, he went on to say that he was worried about the possibility of retaliation and that he would make sure that all the regulations were being followed, accusing the Kremlin of spreading false information.

EU claims Lithuania behaved legally during the Russian-Lithuanian confrontation in Kaliningrad.

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Russia's foreign ministry requested that Vilnius promptly undo what it deemed to be a "openly hostile" action. If cargo passage from Kaliningrad to the rest of the country via Lithuania is not fully restored shortly, "Russia reserves the right to take actions to preserve its national interests," the Russian foreign ministry stated in a statement.

Geographically located between Poland and Lithuania with no land connections to Russia, the region is home to a sizable, ice-free Russian Navy station as well as launch platforms for Russian Iskander missile systems. Kaliningrad must now increase ship transportation due to the limits on the rail route.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry of Lithuania emphasized in a statement that it is solely halting authorized shipments to Kaliningrad. Lithuania's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told reporters in Luxembourg that "it's not Lithuania doing anything; it's European sanctions that started functioning from the 17th of June."

According to Landsbergis, "It was done with European Commission consultation and following European Commission norms."

Borrell further emphasized that the action of Lithuania should not be contrasted with the circumstance in Ukraine. "What is occurring in Kaliningrad will not have an impact on the rest of the world, but what is happening in Ukraine has a significant impact on the rest of the world," he said.