Lithuania has stopped all rail transport to Kaliningrad from Russia.
It has made the Kremlin look red.
– This decision is more than serious. It is completely unsurpassed. It is a crime against everything, says spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Following EU decisions, Lithuanian authorities have banned Russian goods subject to sanctions as a result of the war in Ukraine from being transported through Lithuanian territory.
This is because the only railway between Russia and Kaliningrad runs via Lithuania.
These include coal, metal and building materials, writes Sky News.
“Crime against everything”
It has caused Russia to collapse – and start threatening Lithuania.
– This decision is more than serious. It is completely unsurpassed. It is a crime against everything, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday.
Yesterday, Lithuania’s top diplomatic staff was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, and it was announced that the action was considered “openly threatening”. The EU ambassador to Moscow will also be called up on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also wrote in a press release:
“If freight transport between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of Russia via Lithuania is not completely restored in the near future, Russia will act to protect its national interests.”
“Not very worried”
From the Lithuanian point of view, however, they take it all in stride.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said yesterday:
– It is not Lithuania that is doing anything: it is European sanctions that came into force on 17 June. This is done in line with the European Commission and in accordance with the Commission’s guidelines.
Lithuanian MP Laurynas Kasciunas also takes the statement calmly.
– We are not particularly worried about Russian threats. The Kremlin has very few options for revenge, he says and continues:
– A military response is highly unlikely because Lithuania is a member of NATO. If that were not the case, they would probably have considered it.