– One of the most important questions has been whether our response to the Lithuanian measures will be only diplomatic. The answer to this is no. This was said by spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned NATO and the United States to use the threat posed by Article 5 of the NATO Charter in connection with what is happening now. Article 5 states that an attack on a country should be seen as an attack on all members of NATO, who in turn undertake to support the country being attacked. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday that Article 5 of the NATO pact on mutual defense remains unchanged, including with regard to possible measures by Russia vis-à-vis Lithuania. Russian passenger train traffic through Lithuania will continue as before, despite the new restrictions that have been introduced. Photo: INTS KALNINS / Reuters Kaliningrad increasingly isolated It was this weekend that the Lithuanian railway made it clear that it will no longer allow transit traffic to and from the Kaliningrad enclave of goods covered by EU sanctions against Russia. This applies to, among other things, building materials, coal, metals and cement. According to Kaliningrad Governor Anton Alikhanov, these are between 40 and 50 percent of all goods transported by rail through Lithuania to and from Kaliningrad. The border crossing between Lithuania and the Russian Kaliningrad Klaven at Nida. It has in practice been closed for more than two years due to the corona epidemic. Photo: Morten Jentoft Passenger traffic by train continues Lithuania has previously closed its airspace to and from the Kaliningrad enclave, in line with EU sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Transport of passengers and goods not covered by the sanctions will continue to be allowed to pass through Lithuania by train. This according to a message sent out by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. Lithuania has defended the measures that are now being introduced, saying that they are fully in line with the sanctions that the EU has introduced against Russia. The country has received full support from the EU in this view. Passengers on the Russian trains through Lithuania see pictures that Putin is killing people in Ukraine. This picture hangs at the station in Vilnius. Photo: PETRAS MALUKAS / AFP The Suwalki Corridor Poland and Lithuania are today located between the Russian Kaliningrad enclave and Russia’s close ally Belarus, separated by what is called the Suwalki Corridor. At its narrowest, this is only about 100 kilometers. Precisely this corridor has long been seen as an area where the conflict between Russia and NATO can turn into a full-scale war. It has been speculated that Russia, through a lightning attack from Belarus and Kaliningrad, will try to establish a highway connection to its enclave in the west. Norwegian soldiers present NATO has significantly increased its military presence in both Poland and Lithuania since the Russian attack on Ukraine. Norwegian soldiers are part of a German-led force of around 1600 men and women located in Rukla, 140 kilometers north of the border between Poland and Lithuania. Ukraine crisis: Norway sends troops to Lithuania In addition, after the Russian attack on Ukraine, NATO has prepared a rapid reaction force of around 40,000 which can be sent to Lithuania and the Baltic countries at short notice. Norway has, among other things, tanks, as part of the NATO force in Lithuania Photo: Frederik Ringnes / Forsvaret / Frederik Ringnes / Forsvaret Increasingly tense in the Baltic Sea area Nevertheless, few believe that Russia, which has its hands full with the war in Ukraine , will risk a full military confrontation with the NATO country Lithuania due to what is happening around Kaliningrad. Lithuania has already become independent of imports of Russian gas, oil and electricity, as one of the first countries in Eastern Europe. This has meant that Russia has relatively limited opportunities to pressure the country “in non-diplomatic ways”, as spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says they will do. Kaliningrad, which until 1945 was called Köningsberg and was part of Germany, is isolated from the rest of Russia. Photo: AP Nevertheless, there are many who fear that the tension with this will increase further in the Baltic Sea area, where Sweden and Finland will apparently soon become members of NATO. Russia is now more dependent than ever on airspace and the sea to supply the Kaliningrad enclave. All transport must take place in the narrow international waters of the Gulf of Finland, between Finland and Estonia. The question is whether it is possible to find a solution to calm the situation, e.g. through Lithuania being granted a full or partial exemption from the EU sanctions regime. With the steep fronts now between NATO and Russia, there is little to suggest that. This is despite the fact that both parties have emphasized that they do not want a direct confrontation, which in the worst case could trigger a third world war.
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Ukraine conflict moves – dangerous escalation between Lithuania and Russia – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
