Why Kaliningrad, Russia’s toehold in Europe, could be the next flashpoint in its war against Ukraine
Russia reacted furiously after Lithuania banned the movement of sanctioned goods through its territory and into Kaliningrad. But Lithuania says it is only maintaining European Union sanctions, and the European bloc has backed that.
The dispute now threatens to escalate tensions between Moscow and the EU, which has already announced several packages of sanctions against Russian goods.
Here’s what you need to know about Kaliningrad, its history and importance to Russia.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, experts fear that Kaliningrad could become the focal point of tensions between Moscow and Europe.
It is the westernmost territory of Russia, and the only part of the country surrounded by EU states; Lithuania stands between it and Belarus, an ally of Russia, while Poland borders to the south.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the move was unprecedented and Russia considered it illegal. “Of course, that’s part of the blockade,” he said. Other Russian officials have threatened to respond.
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said, “Russia will certainly respond to such hostile acts. Measures are being taken in an inter-ministerial form and will be implemented in the future. Their consequences will seriously negatively affect the population of Lithuania”, according to Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, citing sources from the Ministry of Economic Development, sanctioned products banned from being exported to Russia by the European Union include construction machinery, machine tools and industrial equipment. other. Some premium merchandise is also included.
Lithuania has not imposed “unilateral, individual or additional” restrictions, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday and informed that if the process of transporting goods to the Kaliningrad region is not fully restored, Russia has the right to take actions. act to protect their national interests.
But the EU, whose sanctions Lithuania is enforcing by blocking transit, has backed its member state.
Speaking to Reuters, Dmitry Lyskov, a representative of the regional government, was forced to urge people not to panic buy in response to this action.
What is Kaliningrad?
Kaliningrad is a Russian suburb located between Poland and Lithuania. It was captured by Soviet troops from Nazi Germany in April 1945 and later became part of Soviet territory as a result of the Potsdam Agreement. It was renamed from the German Königsberg in 1946.
It has a population of about one million, most of whom live in or near the capital of the same name. The exception is one of the more prosperous regions of Russia, with developed industry. Its port, Baltiysk, is the westernmost port on Russian territory and is remarkably ice-free year-round.
The streets of the main city are lined with grand examples of old German architecture alongside crude Soviet-style concrete apartment blocks.
But the meaning of Kaliningrad mainly comes from its location on the map. A thin strip of land south of Kaliningrad separates it from Belarus and connects the territories of Poland and Lithuania. Called the Suwalki Corridor or Cleft, it is the only land link between the Baltic states and the rest of the European Union.
Kaliningrad is also the headquarters of Russia’s Baltic Fleet. RIA Novosti reported on Monday that the fleet had begun previously planned missile and artillery exercises, saying that “about 1,000 servicemen and more than 100 military and special equipment units of the artillery and rockets participated in the maneuvers.”
In 2002, the EU and Moscow reached an agreement on travel between Russia and Kaliningrad, before Poland and Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004. When these countries joined, EU territory was besieged three times. side. Russia says the 2002 agreement has now been breached.
Presence of nucleus?
Kaliningrad’s importance has become even greater for Russia with Sweden and Finland planning to join NATO. In May, Dmitry Medvedev, Vice Chairman of Russia’s National Security Council said the accession plan meant that “it will no longer be possible to talk about any state of denuclearization of the Baltics – the balance must be restored.”
Russia does not admit that it has nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad, but in 2018 the Federation of American Scientists concluded that Russia has significantly modernized a nuclear weapons bunker in the region, based on analysis satellite imagery.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Lithuania has urged NATO to increase the deployment of troops on its territory. In April, President Gitanas Nausea said that NATO’s Forward Presence Enhancement Battalion should be converted to “at least” the size of a brigade, and called for strengthening the Suwalki corridor.
