Lithuania on Monday extended restrictions on trade through its territory to Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad as more European Union sanctions against Moscow came into force over its invasion of Ukraine. Additional goods banned from Monday morning include concrete, wood, alcohol and alcohol-based industrial chemicals, a Lithuanian customs spokesman said. Lithuanian Railways estimated the restrictions would apply to about 15% of the 3.7 million tonnes of cargo it moved from Russia to Kaliningrad in the first half of 2022. This includes the extension of the ban on ferrous metals that began last month. Kaliningrad, a Baltic port and enclave of about 1 million inhabitants, was annexed by the Soviet Union from Germany after World War II and is connected to the rest of Russia only via EU territory, mainly by rail through Belarus via Lithuania. Moscow says the land transit ban on certain goods amounts to an illegal blockade. Lithuania says it has no choice but to enforce the sanctions imposed by Brussels. Russia warned Lithuania and the European Union on Friday that it could take “tough measures” against them if the transit of some goods to and from Kaliningrad does not resume “within the next few days.” On Monday, Kaliningrad’s regional governor proposed banning the movement of goods between Russia and the three Baltic EU member states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, except through transit to Kaliningrad. This could divert Russian goods from their ports. “This will provide activities to (our) sea carriers and give work to Kaliningrad’s ports, which have been hit hard by EU restrictions,” governor Anton Alikhanov said on Telegram. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally, discussed a possible response to Lithuania’s actions during a phone call, their Telegram accounts said. The presidents discussed “some possible joint steps … in relation to the illegal restrictions imposed by Lithuania on the transit of goods in the Kaliningrad region,” the Kremlin said in a brief statement on Telegram. EU trade restrictions have been upgraded as governments, markets and companies worry that Russia may choose to extend the shutdown of the largest single pipeline carrying Russian gas to Germany beyond a planned 10-day maintenance period. The row over Kaliningrad’s isolation is testing Europe’s resolve to impose sanctions. EU officials, backed by Germany, sought a compromise to resolve the standoff in late June. However, sources told Reuters that Lithuania was wary of making anything that could be seen as a concession to the Kremlin. Goods that fall under humanitarian or essential categories, such as food, are exempt from sanctions. Passenger traffic is not prohibited and Kaliningrad can still be reached by air or sea. The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
