Kaliningrad

The Kremlin on Monday called Lithuania's decision to ban the transit of some goods to Russia's Kaliningrad region "unprecedented" and vowed to respond.

"We consider this illegal. "This decision is really unprecedented. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Russia on Monday (20 June) demanded that Lithuania immediately lift a ban on the transit of some goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Russia has no right to threaten Lithuania. Moscow has only itself to blame for the consequences of its unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. We commend Lithuania’s principled stance and stand firmly by our Lithuanian friends.@GLandsbergis Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia has no right to threaten Lithuania, and that Moscow has only itself to blame for the consequences of the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. “This decision is really unprecedented.

Russia has demanded that Vilnius immediately reverse new restrictions on shipments of Russian goods that are subject to EU sanctions through Lithuanian ...

Amnesty International alleged last week that Russian troops had waged "a relentless campaign of indiscriminate bombardments against Kharkiv" early in the nearly four-month-old invasion. Another shortfall on June 20 would represent the sixth day in a row that Italy has had to deal with a shortfall. Supplies received on June 18 and June 19 were similar in size to deliveries in recent days, it said. "With the greatest possible appreciation and respect for the way Dutchbat III under difficult circumstances kept trying to do good, even when that was no longer possible." "I am convinced that the results of today's talks will become a solid foundation for close cooperation between our countries." "One cannot imagine that millions of tons of wheat remain blocked in Ukraine while in the rest of the world people are suffering hunger. Skirmishes have broken out intermittently since heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh following the breakup of the Soviet Union ended in an uneasy truce and "frozen conflict," with occasional deaths reported on both sides. RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. “It is, of course, very concerning because he is one-on-one with the same people and the same government that tried to kill him in 2020.” Tel Aviv is believed to have been behind the assassinations of at least five Iranian nuclear scientists in the past decade. Navalny was handed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for violating the terms of an earlier parole because of his convalescence abroad. RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction.

Riga, Jun 20 (EFE).- Lithuania's railways Monday denied cutting off transit between Russia and its Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad after Russian officials ...

“Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (LTG/Lithuanian Railways) has not imposed any unilateral, individual or additional restrictions on it. The EU sanctions on rail transit shipments from Russia via Belarus to the Russian enclave would cut imports and exports of goods to and from Kaliningrad by 40 to 50%, Kaliningrad governor Anton Alichanov told media outlets. But when the war between Russia and Ukraine was raging in March, the Lithuanian government said it was asking for additional EU funds to upgrade security with cameras and helicopter patrols along the rail route from the border with Belarus to the border with Kaliningrad.

Moscow urges 'immediate cancellation' of restrictions which it calls 'unprecedented, illegal,' says it will defend national interests - Anadolu Agency.

We understand that this is due to the relevant decision of the European Union to extend the sanctions to transit of goods. "We have indicated that we see the provocative measures of the Lithuanian side, violating Lithuania's international legal obligations, primarily the joint statement of the Russian Federation and the European Union on transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the Russian Federation from 2002, as openly hostile," the ministry said. The Kremlin on Monday slammed Lithuania's ban on the rail transit of some goods from Russia to its semi-exclave Kaliningrad region via the Baltic country.

It includes coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology, accounting for around 50% of all goods that Kaliningrad imports. Moscow said the move ...

“This decision, indeed unprecedented, is a violation of everything and then some. The exclave is strategically important for Russia's military presence in the Baltic Sea. It is home to the headquarters of Russia's Baltic sea fleet. It's been part of the Soviet Union or Russia since the end of WWII and today is home to almost half a million people. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. Home to some 430,000 people, it is isolated from the rest of Russia. Borrell firmly denied that a "blockade" was being imposed between Kaliningrad and other parts of Russia, adding that the transit of passengers and goods that were not sanctioned continues. Lithuania has banned the transit of some goods through its territory from Russia to its exclave of Kaliningrad.

The Russian foreign ministry will summon on Tuesday European Union ambassador to Moscow Markus Ederer over Lithuania's ban of the transit of goods under EU ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "This is, of course, a situation, that can be resolved by diplomatic means," Anton Alikhanov, Kaliningrad's governor, told the Russian television. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Lithuania was not acting unilaterally and was only applying EU sanctions when it decided to ban the transit of some goods to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, ...

“Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests” if cargo transit from Kaliningrad to the rest of the country via Lithuania is not restored in full soon, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Russia had threatened to retaliate against Lithuania’s “openly hostile” restrictions after Vilnius halted the rail transport of Russian goods under EU sanctions to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, wedged between Lithuania and Poland, earlier on Monday morning. Borrell said that the EU nonetheless would “double-check” the EU guidelines to check that they “completely aligned” with any kind of rule.

LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) – Russia warned NATO member Lithuania on Monday that unless the transit of goods to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea ...

“So in this case, indeed, if it is application of the EU sanctions, it’s clear that we need to be with our member states applying the sanctions.” “This decision is really unprecedented. “It was done with consultation from European Commission and under European Commission guidelines,” Landsbergis said. “If cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the Russian Federation via Lithuania is not fully restored in the near future, then Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests,” it said. Lithuania said it was merely implementing EU sanctions, part of a swathe of measures intended to punish President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. With east-west relations at a half-century low over Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Vilnius banned the transit of goods sanctioned by the European Union through Lithuanian territory to and from the exclave, citing EU sanction rules.

Russia on Monday threatened retaliation against Lithuania after it banned goods in transit to Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave located along the Baltic Sea.

The bloc said it has excluded products related to health, pharma, food and agriculture. Kaliningrad Governor Anton Alikhanov has estimated that the ban would affect some 50% of all goods flowing towards Kaliningrad by rail. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said his country was simply implementing sanctions imposed by the EU, of which it is a member.

Lithuania on Monday defended its decision to bar rail transit from Russia to a Russian Baltic Sea exclave of goods hit by European Union sanctions, ...

As part of its economic sanctions, the EU has imposed a number of import and export restrictions on Russia. The bloc said it has been careful not to harm the Russian population with its packages of measures and therefore excluded products related to health, pharma, food and agriculture. He added that the transit of passengers and goods that are not sanctioned is continuing. Anton Alikhanov, the governor of the Russian exclave, has estimated that the ban would affect some 50% of all goods flowing toward Kaliningrad by rail. The foreign ministry summoned Lithuania's chief diplomatic representative in Moscow for a formal protest and alleged the Baltic nation was acting in breach of international agreements. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said his country was simply implementing sanctions imposed by the EU, of which it is a member. "This decision, indeed unprecedented, is a violation of everything and then some.

Russian foreign ministry demands Lithuania reverse the ban of the transit of goods through its territory; warning Moscow would respond to protect its ...

“We are moving towards the main decision of the European Council, which will be adopted on Friday. As I predicted, Russia is very nervous about our activity.” He clearly fears the spark of democracy spreading to his country,” Scholz told the Muenchner Merkur newspaper. “I think there was some false information, not for the first time, announced by the Russian authorities, but I’m glad that we have a chance to explain this,” he said. Putin fears the “spark of democracy” spreading to Russia, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who said the Russian president was trying to divide Europe and return to a world dominated by spheres of influence. Seven people were reported missing and three injured after the strikes on Monday, according to the head of occupied Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov. Turkey said it does not consider next week’s Nato summit as a final deadline for resolving its objections to Finland and Sweden joining the military alliance. They should be released,” Vereshchuk said during a televised briefing on Monday. It was Muratov’s idea to auction off his prize, having already announced he was donating the accompanying $500,000 cash award to charity. This decision is really unprecedented. We consider this illegal. The idea of the donation, he said, “is to give the children refugees a chance for a future”. Denmark’s energy agency declared a first level “early warning” alert over worries of its gas supply, due to uncertainty on energy imports from Russia due to the war in Ukraine.

NATO military planners have long been concerned about Russia's strategic Kaliningrad exclave. Wedged in between Poland and Lithuania, the chunk of Russian territory with fewer than half a million people has been a fixture in the security architecture ...

As Russia recovered its economic strength, buoyed by continued energy exports to Europe and a resumption of trade that has European industry majors returning to the Russian market, it would also be able to start rebuilding its military capabilities. With the Baltic Sea in the hands of NATO, resupply by sea would be at the mercy of the alliance. And it would be associated with Belarus remaining within the Russian camp, fostering even deeper bonds between the two militarized autocracies. Such an outcome would allow the Russian regime to save face, thus removing the threat of regime change via a coup. An alternative scenario would occur if the Western resolve to stand by Ukraine erodes over time, and Kyiv is forced to accept a settlement. It retains its strategic location in the southern Baltic, and it has the capability of launching nuclear missile strikes against Warsaw, an option that has featured in war games. Already depleted from having contributed troops to the war in Ukraine, the military outpost would find itself surrounded by hostile forces. Another is that the Swedish and Finnish air forces, which now have ample experience in joint operations, would constitute a formidable problem for Russian aviation. In the case of Finland and Sweden in NATO, that calculus changes beyond recognition. The alternative would be a combined airlift and naval convoy proceeding up the Baltic past Kaliningrad’s missile batteries. As shown in numerous war-gaming exercises, a Russian armed invasion of Estonia, for example, could have been swift and would have presented NATO with a fait accompli. The scenarios hinge on how that war ends and if the regime in Belarus survives.

POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Brussels, by Suzanne Lynch and Jakob Hanke Vela. Sign up for Brussels Playbook ...

But delivering on each pillar of our strategy will require the necessary frame conditions and the support of policy makers. Some relief: The Commission seems to be off the hook for some of the other massive fines under review. Sorry — but no justice: During Monday’s ceremony, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo apologized “on behalf of the Belgian government” for its role leading up to Lumumba’s assassination. Tune in to POLITICO Live’s virtual event “The unmet needs of immunocompromised patients post-COVID 19” on June 29** The Commission can appeal to the EU’s top court — and it’ll be interesting to see what arguments Brussels relies on. As the possibility of unblocking the Black Sea recedes, officials in Brussels, Washington and the U.N. are turning their attention to the possibility of transporting Ukraine’s crops by land. Perception problems: European ambassadors who visited Cairo and Addis Ababa last week were taken aback at the perception gap between the EU and Africa about who is to blame for the food crisis, with pro-Russian sentiment running wild. Since then, the EU has done little to counter the false narrative that Western sanctions are responsible for wheat and fertilizer shortages. QUESTION OF UNANIMITY: Hungary’s truculence has resurfaced a question that has been bubbling away in EU circles for decades: Should the bloc call time on unanimity in foreign policy? Many small countries, rightly, worry that if the principle of unanimity is abandoned for big decisions like accession, foreign policy and taxation, they will be steamrolled by the bigger members. Every country has had to make sacrifices for the sake of unity, so patience with Hungary’s caprioles has run thin. Not in party mood: Contacted by Playbook,Stelbaczky declined to comment on the reasons for his departure.

Lithuania is enforcing sanctions on goods shipped to Kaliningrad, which is surrounded by NATO members and physically separated from the rest of Russia.

Lithuania said in mid-June that it will bar the transit of Kaliningrad-bound goods sanctioned by the E.U., including coal, metals and construction materials, through its territory. The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, hundreds of miles west of the rest of the country, is the latest flash point between Moscow and the rest of Europe as the fallout from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war reverberates beyond Ukraine. The Kremlin called the move “unprecedented and illegal” and summoned the E.U.’s top diplomat in Moscow to complain.

Russia will summon EU ambassador to Moscow Markus Ederer on Tuesday amid a dispute about the transit of goods through Lithuanian territory to the ...

"Lithuania has not imposed any unilateral, individual, or additional restrictions on the transit." "There is no blockade," he told reporters. "This is, of course, a situation, that can be resolved by diplomatic means," Alikhanov told Russian television.

One of President Vladimir Putin's top allies warned Lithuania on Tuesday that Russia would respond to a halt in the transit of EU-sanctioned goods to the ...

Kyiv and its allies dismissed that as a baseless pretext for a war of aggression. "Their consequences will have a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Russia has demanded that Lithuania swiftly lift a ban on the rail transit of some goods to and from its exclave of Kaliningrad; however, Vilnius ...

Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov said on June 17 that LTG Cargo, the freight transportation subsidiary of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways), had informed the Russian exclave's railway operators of a ban on the rail transit of many products due to Western sanctions. "All hints that Russia may take some 'other measures' and that it may blockade the Lithuanian port in some special non-contact way are plucked out of thin air," Anusauskas’ Facebook post says. “Transit to the Kaliningrad region via Lithuania has not been suspended or blocked.

The secretary of Russia's Security Council threatened retaliation in a growing standoff with the European Union after Lithuania blocked the transit of ...

Lithuanian ban on transit of sanctioned goods across its territory to and from Russian region has angered Kremlin.

That could cut off Lithuania and Latvia, which are north of the gap, from Poland and the rest of the EU south of it. No. The EU’s ambassador to Russia was called in for a reprimand on Tuesday. The bellicose language of retaliation from the Kremlin has gone up a gear. Russia’s security council head, 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. Russia’s foreign ministry accused Lithuania of breaking international law and a series of agreements on the facilitation of transit from mainland Russia that had been agreed in 2004. The Kremlin has accused Lithuania of blockading its citizens. The government says is it has merely acted on European Commission guidelines.

MOSCOW. Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Markus Ederer, the European Union's ambassador to Moscow, over Lithuania's decision to ban transit of ...

Moscow conveyed its “decisive protest” to Ederer over the “unilateral anti-Russian restrictions on cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the Russian Federation,” read a Foreign Ministry statement. Vilnius has barred the transit of goods subject to EU sanctions through Lithuanian territory to and from the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad. Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Markus Ederer, the European Union’s ambassador to Moscow, over Lithuania’s decision to ban transit of goods under EU sanctions to Kaliningrad.

Russia accused the EU of starting a “blockade” of Kaliningrad after Lithuania, which controls the only overland rail route linking the exclave to the mainland, ...