China News Service, June 22 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) Recently, a move by Lithuania caused a "big hole".

　　Without informing Russia in advance, Lithuania cut off the transit transport of almost half of the goods in Kaliningrad, the smallest state of the Russian Federation.

　　This move made Russia very angry, and immediately summoned the Chargé d'affaires in Russia to protest strongly and warned that it would "fight back".

From the Russian response, it is enough to see how important the enclave of Kaliningrad is!

【Freight is truncated】

　　The Lithuanian Railway Company previously notified the Kaliningrad Railway Administration that from June 18, the Russian local railway will be prohibited from transporting goods sanctioned by the European Union to Kaliningrad.

Lithuania said that the sanctions on the Russian Kaliningrad region of freight came into effect.

Image source: Screenshot of Reuters report

　　The list of embargoed products includes coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technologies, covering a large part of the EU sanctions list.

　　Kaliningrad Governor Arikhanov estimated that these goods accounted for 40% to 50% of the types of goods transported between the state and the rest of Russia.

　　However, the transportation of petroleum products through the relevant areas has not been affected for the time being.

Its transit is not restricted until August 10.

【How big is the impact?

】

　　About 100 trains enter Lithuania from Belarus every month, passing through Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, to Kaliningrad.

　　After Lithuania took measures, the authorities in Kaliningrad responded.

Reskov, the head of the state government's information service, pointed out that since the railway is not available, it will be replaced by water.

　　"We will redistribute the transport chain for these goods, taking into account ferries and overall water routes," he added, adding that there will be no shortage of goods and that the Kaliningrad authorities are working to resolve the problem together with the federal center.

　　Moreover, the Kaliningrad authorities are discussing three response options, which may spread to the transport complexes of the Baltic states.

【"Enclave" is very important】

　　A Russian enclave in the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad is located in the far west of the country, bordering Poland to the south and Lithuania to the northeast and east.

　　It is only 400 kilometers from Kaliningrad to Warsaw. Whether it is to Berlin, Copenhagen or Stockholm, the distance is about 600 kilometers.

Data map: Russian special forces hold anti-terrorism exercises in Kaliningrad, Russia.

Image source: CFP Vision China

　　In 1945, according to the Potsdam Agreement, Kaliningrad was placed under the Soviet Union.

Although this enclave with an area of ​​only 19,000 square kilometers is the smallest state in the Russian Federation, it is like a "sharp knife" inserted between Poland and Lithuania, two NATO member states, with extraordinary strategic significance.

　　As an important strategic fulcrum in the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad is not only stationed in the Baltic Sea Fleet, one of Russia's four major fleets. Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russia may have also deployed heavy weapons such as "Dagger" hypersonic missiles there to respond to NATO is approaching step by step.

　　However, it is precisely because it is not connected to the Russian mainland that Kaliningrad has to receive supplies from the Russian mainland, and the only railway route is through Lithuania.

[The Russian side is very angry]

　　The disruption of some cargo shipments in Kaliningrad has made Russia angry.

Kaliningrad Governor Ali Khanov accused Lithuania of "illegal" practices and "will have long-term consequences for the EU."

　　He warns:

　　First, if Lithuania does not follow the rules, the consequences will be very serious, and our countermeasures will make Lithuania "extremely painful".

　　Second, according to the agreement, Lithuania used to be able to sit and collect "tolls", but now you don't want to make any more money.

　　Third, Lithuania said that it would listen to the EU's arrangement, and as long as the European Commission revises the EU sanctions plan, it can be resolved.

The EU cannot get away with this.

　　On the 20th local time, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement protesting that Lithuania's "blatantly hostile acts" violated international legal obligations, especially a 2002 statement.

　　The statement was signed by Russia and the European Union as Lithuania seeks to join NATO.

The main content is about border crossings between Kaliningrad and the rest of the Russian Federation.

On 1 July 2003, the simplified transit mechanism started working until it was interrupted by Lithuania.

Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov.

　　According to the Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov, Lithuania's actions this time are "unprecedented" and "violate all laws and norms", which is more serious than serious.

　　The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned Lithuania's Chargé d'affaires in Russia, Umbraciene, and the EU's ambassador to Russia, Edrel, to express strong protests against Lithuania's move and demanded that the restrictions be lifted.

Russia said it reserves the right to take action to protect itself.

　　As for what kind of action?

　　Klimov, chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation Council, warned that the blockade of Kaliningrad is regarded as a "direct aggression" and will force Russia to "re resort to self-defense" and "open hands and feet to solve the problem by any means".

【Lithuania "Finding Supplements"】

　　After the Russian side summoned Lifang's Chargé d'Affaires in anger, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Russian Chargé d'Affaires in Lithuania on the same day, saying that "the information is wrong."

　　Lithuania confessed so quickly?

it's not true.

　　First, it stressed that it had not imposed "unilateral, individual, additional" restrictions.

According to Foreign Minister Landsbergis, "the decision was made in consultation with the European Commission." In other words, I was "instructed to do."

　　Seeing that Moscow is angry, this "cauldron" must be carried by the EU!

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis.

　　Second, Lithuania claims that this is a partial restriction.

We don't have an all-encompassing blockade. Passengers and goods that are not sanctioned pass through as usual, such as... the oil that Europe desperately needs.

　　Grace what you want, embargo what you don't want, and a good trick is "selective blockade".

　　Thirdly, why all of a sudden it is said that the seal is sealed, and there is no greeting, because the EU sanctions have "different transition periods and deadlines", which just caught up.

　　Restrictions on Russian steel and other ferrous metal products came into effect on June 17 under the EU's fourth round of sanctions.

　　Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, also defended Lithuania, saying that the country has not adopted any unilateral national restrictions and only implemented EU sanctions, and it is "not guilty".

　　In this regard, Russian State Duma official Slutsky fiercely criticized that EU officials in Brussels "do not care about Kaliningrad ... nor do they care about the lives of the residents of Donbas".

Blockade of Kaliningrad is "shameless and hypocritical".

[It has long been an anti-Russian "bridgehead"]

　　Lithuania has long been recognized as an anti-Russian "bridgehead" on the European continent. The reasoning this time does not rule out that it is worried that Russia will launch an attack from Kaliningrad and set it on fire.

　　Several signs can be seen that Lithuania is implementing "de-Russification" in a planned and step-by-step manner.

↓↓

　　On June 2, the Lithuanian parliament proposed a draft law on the "de-Sovietization" of public spaces, including the removal of Soviet-era monuments and the renaming of roads.

Data map: Vilnius, Lithuania, workers remove statues of Soviet-era soldiers.

　　On May 22, Lithuania stopped importing electricity from Russia.

Litgrid, the country's transmission system operator, pointed out that the country has been reducing Russian electricity imports in a targeted manner in recent years.

　　In 2021, Russia's electricity will account for 17% of Li's total electricity imports and 16% of Li's total electricity consumption.

After the "power outage", Lithuania's electricity demand will be guaranteed through transmission to Sweden, Poland, and Latvia.

　　On May 10, the Lithuanian parliament passed a resolution accusing the Russian armed forces and mercenaries of "committing war crimes" in Ukraine and identifying Russia as a "state that supports and implements terrorism."

　　On April 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania announced that it would lower the level of diplomatic relations with Russia, requiring the Russian ambassador to leave the country and closing the Russian consulate general in Klaipeda.

　　In fact, Lithuania has been expelling Russian diplomats since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

　　The three Baltic countries, including Lithuania, have long regarded Russia as a security threat, and the protection of NATO led by the United States is their only hope.

　　So no matter what Lithuania does, the logic behind it is the same.

A small country caught in the "Russian phobia illusion" has difficulty clearing the fog and recognizing the importance and necessity of maintaining diplomatic independence by itself.

(Finish)