The authorities of Lithuania have announced that a ban on the passage through their territory of goods intended for the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, nestled between this country and Poland, on the Baltic Sea, comes into force on Saturday. This blocking applies to goods targeted by the sanctions adopted by the European Union.
News of the ban was announced Friday in a video posted by the region’s governor, Anton Alikhanov.
The list of products sanctioned by theEU includes coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technologies. This is about 50% of the items imported by Kaliningrad, according to Mr. Alikhanov.
Its immediate entry into force was confirmed by the Lithuanian Railways Public Service in a letter to its customers.
A spokesperson for the service confirmed the contents of the letter but declined to comment further. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet reacted.
Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Mantas Adomenas told the public broadcaster that his institution was waiting clarifications from the European Commission on the application of European sanctions to the transit of goods from Kaliningrad.
Stuck between Poland and Lithuania, members of theEU and of theNATOKaliningrad is supplied by Russia via railways and gas pipelines which pass through Lithuania.
The location of the headquarters of the Russian Baltic Fleet, this enclave was taken from Nazi Germany by the Red Army in April 1945 and ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II.
Radio Canada
Source: Radio-Canada
