Russia’s Foreign Ministry has threatened that their response to transit restrictions on Kaliningrad by Lithuania will be “practical” and “not diplomatic,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
Over the past week, Lithuania has implemented a ban on various rail transit goods going to Russia’s far-western exclave of Kaliningrad to “comply” with EU sanctions on items such as coal, advanced technology, metals and construction materials.
“As for response measures, now possible measures are being worked out in an interdepartmental format,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state-owned TASS. “Both Lithuania and the EU, through their diplomatic missions in Moscow, were told that such actions are inadmissible and that the steps taken must be changed and the situation returned to a legal and legitimate course. If this is not done, then, of course, and this was emphasized at all levels in Moscow, retaliatory actions will be inevitable.”
“On the question of what they will be…Will they be exclusively in the diplomatic plane? [The] answer is no. They will not be in the diplomatic, but in the practical plane,” she added. According to Zakharova, however, this ‘tit-for-tat’ may be a little more explosive than Lithuania counted on.
The EU enforcement measure being implemented from Vilnius marks a complete break in a three decade long treaty that’s been in effect…
RUSSIAN-LITHUANIAN TREATY REGARDING KALININGRAD, 1993https://t.co/4LatUKPN6J pic.twitter.com/ahwCYWMt8c
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 19, 2022
Kaliningrad’s governor Alikhanov has already called on Russian federal authorities to prepare tit-for-tat measures against Lithuania in wake of the transit ban.
The blockade of the Kaliningrad🇷🇺region may become a reason for the outbreak of war B/T Russia & NATO
🇪🇺has published a PR on the fifth package of sanctions against🇷🇺
The document,in particular, prohibits transit of goods by 🇷🇺&🇧🇾 transport operators through the territory of 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/M7k2XAxP0S
— Marialvw (@arktinentuuli) April 8, 2022
On Wednesday, Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, stated that one possible response to the Kaliningrad restrictions could be cutting off Lithuania from the common electricity supply system between Russia, Belarus and the Baltic states, according to Interfax. Slutsky added that another possible response could be banning the transit of Lithuanian truckers through Russia. -Jerusalem Post
According to a Thursday statement by Peskov, Moscow is full of determination over the transport blockade of Kaliningrad, but will not rush to make decisions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told TASS.
“No need to rush here, but, at the same time, we have been full of determination,” he said, commenting on the situation. “It will take some time before certain decisions are made.”
Russia is absolutely right in the Kaliningrad issue, the country is analyzing the situation and delivering its position regarding the transit blockade of the enclave to its opponents, he said.
“We are analyzing this situation in a most serious way. Via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are delivering our [position] to our opponents,” he said. “In this situation, we are absolutely right.” “Regretfully, they are not our partners any longer, they are our opponents now,” he added.
When asked whether any retaliatory measures should be expected after the report by Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the official replied: “We need some time to analyze the situation.” “I believe our opponents need it as well,” he added.
The Kremlin does not rule out the possibility of Lithuania lifting its restrictions on transit to Russia’s Baltic exclave, but is preparing for the worse, he said.
“Let us not rule out anything. Let us hope for the better and prepare for the worse. And this is exactly what we are doing now,” he said.
Lithuania imposed restrictions on the rail transit of some goods from Russia to the region from June 18. Kaliningrad later confirmed that restrictions also applied to truck freight.
Russia says the move is illegitimate as it violates the agreements the country committed to when joining the EU.
Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev visited the Kaliningrad Region on June 21. The visit was planned well in advance, but the transport blockade was among issues discussed at a national security meeting with his attendance. According to earlier reports, Patrushev will make a report to Putin about the outcome of his visit.