On June 25, during negotiations in St. Petersburg, Alexander Lukashenko, who calls himself the head of the Belarusian state, complained about this to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Communication between two politicians quotes Website of the President of Belarus.
“We are very stressed by the situation and the policy pursued by our neighbors. You, in general, know. This is the leadership of Poland and the leadership of Lithuania. The policy of confrontation … It is clear that they are standing behind our backs, pushing us, but the policy is disgusting. The behavior is aggressive” – said Lukashenka.
In particular, the Belarusian politician highlighted the topic of restrictions on the transit of goods through Lithuania, subject to European Union sanctions, between the main part of the Russian Federation and the Kaliningrad region.
“Recently, there has been a growing flow of information about … the plan to stop transit from Russia through Belarus to Kaliningrad, to isolate Kaliningrad. Listen, this is akin to declaring some kind of war. Such things are unacceptable in modern conditions,” Lukashenka said.
He suggested Putin to take mirror measures in the military sphere on the actions of the West, emphasizes on the website of the President of Belarus.
From June 18 “Lithuanian Railways” stopped transit from the Kaliningrad region and to the region from other regions of Russia goods subject to European sanctions. As a result, almost half of the goods transported to the Kaliningrad region of Russia, including building materials, fell under the restrictions.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the position of Lithuaniasaying that Russia has no right to threaten it and should only blame itself for the consequences of an unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Lithuania’s decision illegal. The RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chargé d’Affaires of Lithuania Virginia Umbrasene, according to RIA Novosti, stated “that if cargo transit to the Kaliningrad region is not restored in full in the near future, Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests.” Member of the Federation Council Andrei Klishas said that what is happening “can be the basis for very tough and absolutely legal actions”.
On June 20, it became known that The Baltic Fleet of Russia began exercises in the Kaliningrad regionwhich is the westernmost region of Russia, has no land border with other regions of the country and borders on Poland and Lithuania.
Ban on transit to Kaliningrad through Lithuania as part of EU sanctions against Russia applies only to sub-sanctioned goods contrary to the statements of the Russian Federation about the “blockade” of the region, said Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas. According to the minister, Russia’s statements about a possible “blockade” of Lithuanian seaports cannot be true, since the Kremlin does not have such powers.
June 22 Lithuania banned the transit of certain goods to the Kaliningrad region of Russia not only by rail, but also by road.
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