Why is it Russian?
Before World War II it was the easternmost largest city in Germany, known as Königsberg, reflecting its history as the crown city of the Prussian monarchy. In late July and early August 1945, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (replaced on July 26 by Clement Atl after the summer general election) and US President Harry Truman were ousted. the new borders of Europe at a summit of war allies in the German city of Potsdam. Königsberg was ceded to the Soviet Union and later renamed in honor of Mikhail Kalinin, a Bolshevik revolutionary. The German population was expelled and the Soviet citizens resettled it. Lyudmila Putina, Vladimir Putin’s ex-wife, was born in Kaliningrad in 1958. History, however, has left the region captive. The collapse of the Soviet Union means that it is stuck between two NATO and EU member states, Poland and Lithuania. Kaliningrad gets much of its food from its neighbors in the EU, but the region is still heavily dependent on mainland Russia for other goods. Every year millions of tonnes of oil, coke and coal are transported – mainly by rail – through Lithuania. About 100 Russian transit trains pass through Lithuania every month. There have been tensions all these years. Lithuania built a new border fence in 2017 during the massive Zapad (western) military exercises in Russia, and Lithuanian helicopters are known to hover over the railway line when Russian military personnel are on board. Locator Kaliningrad
What is the problem?
Following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed heavy sanctions on the Russian economy. Less than half of all goods usually passing through Lithuania, including coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology, are covered by a ban on Russian exports entering EU territory. There is a different enforcement date for many of the goods. On June 17, the ban on Russian steel and iron ore came into force. Lithuania’s state railways have stated that they will no longer allow these goods to be transported on their lines. In response, the governor of the region, Anton Alikhanov, said that the ferry services from St. Petersburg will face the pressure and that there is no reason to panic. This led to panic and videos appeared with shoppers frantically filling shopping carts in DIY stores. The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Lithuania of violating international law and a series of agreements facilitating transit through mainland Russia that were agreed in 2004. The Kremlin has threatened retaliation. All this follows Lithuania’s decision to increase its safety around trains. Permanent presence of helicopters above the lines is foreseen. The Kremlin has accused Lithuania of blocking its citizens.
What was Lithuania’s response?
The government says it has simply acted in accordance with European Commission guidelines. The country’s foreign minister on Monday accused the Kremlin of misinterpreting the situation. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell told a news conference in Brussels that Lithuania was “innocent”, but added that officials would “double check” all relevant agreements.
Did that calm Moscow down?
No. The EU ambassador to Russia was summoned for reprimand on Tuesday. The war language of retaliation from the Kremlin has gained momentum. Moscow is blocking Ukrainian ports and creating a global food crisis that could kill millions. The head of Russia’s security council, Nikolai Patrushev, said on Tuesday that there would be “serious consequences” for Lithuanians “in the near future”. The EU has called for calm and a diplomatic solution.
