Lithuania cannot unilaterally cut off railway transit between mainland Russia and the exclave of Kaliningrad, according to Transport Minister Marius Skuodis.
“As for unilateral decisions on the Kaliningrad transit, such a thing is probably not theoretically possible, because this is an agreement between the European Union and Russia,” he told reporters on April 6.
If imposed, a EU embargo on Russian and Belarusian trucks would not apply to Kaliningrad, according to the minister.
“There are currently discussions on banning Russian and Belarusian trucks from entering the EU’s territory, and an exception is made for Kaliningrad,” he said.
Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also said that Lithuania could not unilaterally stop the Kaliningrad transit, but added that Vilnius was in consultations with the EU about the issue.
On average, a hundred Russian transit trains pass through Lithuania each month. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
