Kaliningrad

2022 - 6 - 20

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Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

Russia warns Lithuania over Kaliningrad goods restrictions (Aljazeera.com)

Moscow decries 'hostile' restrictions on flow of EU-sanctioned goods to Russian exclave, as Lithuania defends measures.

Earlier on Monday, the Kremlin said Lithuania’s decision was “unprecedented” and “in violation of everything there is”. The ministry said it had summoned Lithuania’s charge d’affaires in Moscow to protest the “provocative” and “openly hostile” measures. Russia’s foreign ministry has demanded the immediate lifting of Lithuania’s “openly hostile” restrictions on the rail transit of EU-sanctioned goods to Moscow’s exclave of Kaliningrad.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Russia threatens retaliation as Lithuania bans goods transit to ... (The Guardian)

The move by the government in Vilnius was described as “unprecedented” in Moscow where the Russian foreign office said they reserved the right to respond to ...

“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. “Our ferries will handle all the cargo,” he said on Saturday. The land transit between Kaliningrad and other parts of Russia has not been banned. Russia’s foreign ministry said Vilnius must reverse the “openly hostile” move. Second, transit of people and goods that are not sanctioned continues. The comments set off alarm bells in Brussels, where the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Lithuania was simply enforcing the bloc’s sanctions regime.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Russia condemns Lithuania transit ban to Kaliningrad, vows response (Reuters)

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

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Image courtesy of "EURACTIV"

Russia demands Lithuania lift Kaliningrad transit ban immediately (EURACTIV)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty"

Moscow Reels, Lashes Out At Lithuania Over Kaliningrad Cutoff (Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty)

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.

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Image courtesy of "La Prensa Latina"

Lithuania denies blocking rail transit to Russia's Kaliningrad - La ... (La Prensa Latina)

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.

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Live news updates from June 20: UK rail strikes to go ahead, Russia ... (Financial Times)

European equity markets rose on Monday following the sharpest weekly decline for global stocks since the pandemic-driven ructions of March 2020.

Lithuania defends ban on some goods to Russia's Kaliningrad (ABC News)

Lithuania is defending its decision to bar rail transit from Russia to a Russian Baltic Sea exclave of goods hit by European Union sanctions, in a move that ...

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. Anton Alikhanov, the governor of the Russian exclave, has estimated that the ban would affect some 50% of all goods flowing towards 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. “There is no blockade,” Borrell said. 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.

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Image courtesy of "EURACTIV"

EU says Lithuania acted 'by the book' in Kaliningrad standoff with ... (EURACTIV)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Russia warns NATO-member Lithuania over Kaliningrad transit (Reuters)

Russia warned NATO member Lithuania on Monday that unless the transit of goods to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea was swiftly restored then ...

"The situation is more than serious," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

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Russia Warns NATO-Member Lithuania Over Kaliningrad Transit Of ... (gcaptain.com)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Moscow to summon EU ambassador to Russia over Kaliningrad ... (Reuters)

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

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Image courtesy of "Fox Business"

Russia threatens retaliation after Lithuania bans goods in transit to ... (Fox Business)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Voice of America"

Lithuania Defends Ban on Some Goods to Russia's Kaliningrad (Voice of America)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG"

Scenarios for Russia's strategic Kaliningrad exclave (Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG)

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.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

How Kaliningrad, Russian territory surrounded by NATO, is tangled ... (The Washington Post)

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.

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Image courtesy of "POLITICO.eu"

Russia to summon EU envoy over Kaliningrad row, official says (POLITICO.eu)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Russia tells Lithuania: your citizens will feel the pain over Kaliningrad (Reuters)

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 Tells Lithuania: Your Citizens Will Feel the Pain Over ... (U.S. News & World Report)

LONDON (Reuters) -One of President Vladimir Putin's top allies warned Lithuania on Tuesday that Russia would respond to a halt in the transit of ...

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." Lithuania said the ban on the transit of sanctioned goods across its territory was merely the implementation of EU sanctions, part of a swathe of measures intended to punish Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.

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Image courtesy of "Bloomberg"

Putin's Security Chief Vows Response to EU Kaliningrad Sanctions (Bloomberg)

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

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Image courtesy of "bne IntelliNews"

Russia demands end to Kaliningrad transit restrictions (bne IntelliNews)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Voice of America"

Russia Protests Transit Block to Kaliningrad (Voice of America)

Lithuanian officials said they imposed the restrictions beginning on June 20 in an effort to shore up punitive measures that followed Russia's ongoing ...

The Kremlin, meanwhile, dispatched one of President Vladimir Putin's top allies to Kaliningrad, where he warned that "appropriate measures" will be taken by Moscow "in the near future." The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Tuesday that EU Ambassador to Moscow Markus Ederer was informed of the "inadmissibility of such actions" and warned "retaliation will follow" if the restrictions aren't removed immediately. Russia has summoned the European Union's envoy to Moscow to "strongly" protest new restrictions on goods shipments to its Kaliningrad exclave through EU member Lithuania while threatening the Baltic state with "retaliation."

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Why Kaliningrad, Russia's toehold in Europe, could be the next ... (CNN)

Tensions are mounting around the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, an isolated but strategically significant territory on the Baltic coast that could soon be ...

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has urged NATO to increase the deployment of troops on its territory. It has a population of around one million, the majority of whom live within or near the capital city of the same name. But Kaliningrad's significance comes mostly from where it lies on the map. [Lithuania] hasn't imposed any unilateral, individual, or additional restrictions on the transit & is acting fully in accordance with EU law." Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said, "Russia will certainly respond to such hostile actions. Their consequences will have a serious negative impact on the Lithuanian population," according to Russia's RIA Novosti state-owned news agency.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Why is Kaliningrad at the centre of a row between Russia and ... (The Guardian)

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.

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Image courtesy of "Morning Star Online"

Russia warns Lithuania against illegal 'siege' of Kaliningrad (Morning Star Online)

KALININGRAD published a list of goods banned by Lithuania from crossing via the Baltic country to the Russian enclave today, with Moscow insisting that it ...

A number of luxury items are also included on the list. You can read 5 more article this month This is the last article you can read this month

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Why is Lithuania risking Russia's wrath over Kaliningrad? (DefenseNews.com)

Lithuania imposed a ground transit ban of EU sanctioned Russian goods through its territory that will block half of all goods coming into the Russian ...

Lithuania consistently implements EU sanctions, which have different transition periods and dates of entry into force.” Kaliningrad is the only Russian port on the Baltic Sea that is ice-free year round and is an important launch point for the nation’s naval fleet. In March, the U.S. bolstered its presence in Lithuania, bringing the number of soldiers stationed in the country to around 1,000. Kaliningrad relies heavily on imports from Russia for goods and materials. The move comes on top of the EU flight ban of 21 Russian-certified airlines in April, preventing goods from being flown into Kaliningrad as well. The ban will also cut off Kaliningrad’s only oil pipeline from Russia.

Kaliningrad: Russian Outpost In The Heart Of Europe (Barron's)

Situated some 1000 miles from Moscow, the Russian outpost of Kaliningrad has been drawn into the war in Ukraine, after Lithuania said it would no longer act ...

Russia's toehold in Europe is also a hub for trade between Russia and eastern Europe and was a magnet for foreign investment before the war, with BMW among a handful of foreign automakers that assembled vehicles in its Special Economic Zone. The territory, which is home to a little over one million people, became separated from the Russian mainland following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Founded in 1255, the city was the home of the kings of Prussia and the birthplace of 18th-century philosopher Emmanuel Kant.

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Image courtesy of "Bloomberg"

Russian Kaliningrad Is a Microcosm of Europe's Woes (Bloomberg)

The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad — known until 1946 by its German name of Koenigsberg — is a microcosm of all that's ever gone wrong in Europe. So it's hardly ...

Kaliningrad is a part of Russia implausibly wedged between Lithuania and Poland, two countries that belong to the European Union and NATO. Rail links between mainland Russia and the exclave must go through Lithuania, which has started enforcing EU sanctions against Moscow. That means blocking Russian trains that carry restricted freight such as coal, steel and kit containing certain technologies. The clash was probably inevitable. The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad — known until 1946 by its German name of Koenigsberg — is a microcosm of all that’s ever gone wrong in Europe. So it’s hardly surprising that this strip of land by the Baltic Sea has become the latest flashpoint in the wider conflict between Moscow and the West.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Russian Kaliningrad Is a Microcosm of Europe's Woes (The Washington Post)

Rail links between mainland Russia and the exclave must go through Lithuania, which has started enforcing EU sanctions against Moscow. That means blocking ...

All Putin has to do to solve his Kaliningrad problem is to recognize the borders of Ukraine and other states — and stop being an aggressor. It did the same with everything from Alsace in the west to Silesia in the east. It is, in short, the opposite of Putin’s worldview. Post-war Germany, to howls of protests by its refugees from East Prussia, accepted the loss of Koenigsberg as final. For a time, it was even the continent’s eastern outpost of the Enlightenment, where Immanuel Kant (who never in his life ventured more than a few miles from his hometown) mused on “pure reason” and “perpetual peace” among nations. That change in Kaliningrad’s status didn’t matter much at the time. In the 13th century, the (German-speaking) Teutonic Knights showed up and founded a very martial monastic state. But along the way, Koenigsberg was also a venue for European civilization at its most exalted. In reply, Vilnius and Brussels are pointing out that the new restrictions are not a blockade but simply compliance. The area was at one point or another claimed, governed, fought over and lost by just about every rival power in the vicinity. As a member of the EU, Lithuania must enforce the bloc’s rules, including its sanctions. Kaliningrad is certainly armed to the teeth.

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Image courtesy of "CNBC"

Moscow and NATO could be about to clash over Russia's European ... (CNBC)

A sign reading 'Kaliningrad' stands atop the main city's south railway station. Kaliningrad is a small Russian exclave located on the Baltic Sea and sandwiched ...

Putin knows this - that's war with NATO. Can Putin afford that when he is struggling to deliver on even his now much-reduced strategic objectives in Ukraine? He would also have to launch an assault through Belarus, stretching his supply lines, and splitting his forces," he noted. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, also backed Lithuania on Monday, saying he was worried about what form the retaliation might take while he defended Vilnius' position. "Lithuania is a member of the NATO alliance and we stand by the commitments that we have made to the NATO alliance and that includes of course, a commitment to Article Five that is the bedrock of the NATO alliance," U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a daily press briefing. Russia responded to Lithuania, a former Soviet republic, by calling the move an "unprecedented" and "hostile" act, with its foreign ministry issuing a statement Tuesday in which it said "if in the near future cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the territory of the Russian Federation through Lithuania is not restored in full, then Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests." A new front in tensions between Russia and NATO has opened up after one of the Western military alliance's members, Lithuania, banned the transit of some goods coming from Russia to its exclave Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. - Russia has vowed to retaliate over what it described as the "hostile actions" of Lithuania, warning of "serious" consequences.

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