Lithuania will have to allow the transit of Russian goods to Kaliningrad

In a document specifying the details of the implementation of sanctions against Russia, the European Commission has concluded that Lithuania should allow Russian goods to pass between the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and the rest of the country, as long as they are transported by rail and are of permitted material goods.

The document details that there should be no "ban" on rail transport, but calls for "specific and proportionate" checks on the goods to be transported. This is in response to the current ban on the transport of Russian goods by road as a result of sanctions adopted after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began last February. 

However, the implementation of the sanctions does not specify anything about the transport of Russian goods by rail. According to the note itself, "there is no similar ban on rail transport", but what is expressly forbidden is the transport of dual-use military equipment, as well as high-tech equipment, on any of the tracks.

The Commission's attempt to clarify whether the sanctions that the EU has adopted against Russia include a veto on the "transport of essential goods in transit through the EU between non-contiguous parts" of Russia. For Moscow, the restrictions imposed by Lithuania on the transport of goods to Kaliningrad would be part of "a hostile act", while the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, reiterates that Moscow's allegations are "pure propaganda". 

Following the European Commission's decision, Russia said that the clarification on the transport of Russian goods was a demonstration of "realism and common sense". According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the decision to "remove restrictions on certain products transported by rail" is a "realistic" statement. However, on the same day that the decision was announced, Kaliningrad Governor Anton Alikhanov proposed a total ban on the movement of goods between Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Russia.

Like Alikhanov, last June, when this condition on rail transport was not yet known, the secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, warned that Russia would "undoubtedly react to these hostile actions" and pointed out that the measures would have a "serious negative impact" on the Lithuanian population. 

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has already responded to these statements by stating that these vetoes only affect products that are included in the latest package of sanctions - these are oil, dual-use products, as well as technology that contributes to Russia's defence and security. Therefore, she clarified that the transport of "all other goods that are not sanctioned or not yet subject to sanctions is allowed, as well as the transit of passengers".

She said that these allegations by Russia were part of its "propaganda campaign" and indicated that there was "no international treaty left that Russia has not already violated".

The sanctions regime applied by the EU and the US against Russia, as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine, mark a turning point in the country's economic development.

According to various analysts, never before in our century has such a "rapid" imposition of sanctions on a major economic actor as Russia.

Initially, the main objective of these sanctions was to try to persuade Putin to cease his attempt to invade Ukraine. However, the Russian president continued with his offensive, increasing the violence of the attacks even further, and the European Union therefore joined forces to apply new packages of sanctions that continue to hinder and affect the country's economic system. 

Thus, the current objective of the new packages is to try to degrade Russia's capabilities, hindering its access to arms, technology and possible financing that could help the country improve its military machine. For the moment, the sanctions appear to be achieving this end, although Ukraine continues to suffer from Russian attacks in a war that is not yet close to ending.

The Kaliningrad Oblast is one of 47 in Russia, but it is the only one that is separate from the rest of Russia, located on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland. Before Russia annexed the territory, Kaliningrad belonged to the former state of Prussia, the East Prussian area.

After the end of World War II, Kaliningrad was annexed to the former Soviet Union, and once it was under Soviet rule, the Soviet government carried out a Sovietisation of the territory, which caused many Germans living there to begin a major migration.

Kaliningrad thus became a reflection of Soviet politics, culture and society, and was transformed into an important strategic enclave from the beginning of the Cold War. The oblast has provided Moscow with an important outlet to the Baltic Sea, making its geostrategic position significant for Russia's access to the sea. Moreover, as the European Union expanded eastwards with the integration of Poland and the Baltic republics, Kaliningrad became a Russian zone in the heart of Europe, allowing Russia to maintain its geopolitical influence in the Baltic.

Although this situation allows Moscow to maintain its geopolitical presence in the area, the very location of the oblast is also Russia's Achilles' heel, as land connections with the country have to pass through Lithuania, Poland and Belarus. In this sense, Belarus, an ally of the Kremlin, is less of a threat, but a road blockage in Poland and Lithuania would play a major role in supplying the oblast, especially with the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and Russia fears that Kaliningrad could be cut off by land. On the other hand, as far as maritime access is concerned, goods must necessarily pass through the Gulf of Finland route, a route that is flanked by NATO countries.