Russia is demanding Lithuania immediately lift its restrictions on the rail transit of EU-sanctioned goods to Kaliningrad — a Russian territorial exclave in central-east Europe..Kaliningrad is the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Sea fleet and a forward operating base of its strategic nuclear arsenal. The territory receives its supplies via train and pipelines through Lithuania via the Russian-allied state of Belarus. Lithuania announced last week it was banning the rail transit of EU-sanctioned goods from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad..The exclave is bordered by Lithuania in the north, Poland in the south, and the Baltic Sea in the West. .Once known as Königsberg, the city was the capital of the German province of East Prussia until it was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945. Its population was purged and resettled with mostly ethnic Russian Soviet citizens..With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the territory's status came into question as it became separated by newly independent Belarus and Lithuania. Since then, it has remained a strategic forward operating base deep inside of NATO territory. .The list of EU-sanctioned goods blocked by Lithuania includes coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology, according to Al Jazeera news outlet. .“If in the near future cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the territory of the Russian Federation through Lithuania is not restored in full, then Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday calling Lithuania's actions "openly hostile." .Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Lithuania's decision was "unprecedented" and "in violation of everything there is." .“The situation is more than serious and it requires a very deep analysis before formulating any measures and decisions,” Peskov told reporters..The saber-rattling eerily mirrors the Danzig crisis of 1939, which saw Hitler's Germany demand a transportation corridor established through Polish territory between the same city (then Königsberg) and the main body of Germany. The dispute was one of the triggers that sparked the Second World War. .Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania's foreign minister, defended the country's move pointing to its membership within the European Union and said it is simply implementing sanctions imposed by the EU after "consultation with the European Commission and under its guidelines.".“Sanctioned goods (will) no longer be allowed to transit Lithuanian territory,” said Landsbergis..EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Lithuania will only apply EU sanctions and "has not taken any unilateral national restrictions." .According to Anton Alikhanov, Kaliningrad's governor, the ban will affect roughly 50% of all imports to the area. .After the ban was confirmed on Friday, Alikhanov urged citizens not to resort to panic-buying, assuring them that goods would be ferried over to Kaliningrad by two vessels with seven more scheduled to be in service by the end of the year. .“Our ferries will handle all the cargo”, Alikhanov said on Saturday..Former US soldier Mark Hertling, who served as the Commanding General of United States Army Europe and the Seventh Army, took to Twitter on Monday to discuss the growing tension. ."In the coming days, Americans may hear about Lithuania's blockade of the RU enclave of Kalinigrad," said Hertling in the post. ."Few Americans know about this Russian enclave WEST of several NATO nations. I introduced the importance of its strategic importance to @CNN in December." .His ten-part thread goes on to map out the history of the area and its importance and links to several articles to add insight to his thoughts on the matter.
