Lithuania may halt transit through Russian enclave Kaliningrad to 'ensure security'

BRUSSELS

Lithuania said on Tuesday that it could suspend the transit of Russian goods and passengers to the Kaliningrad exclave if it is deemed necessary to safeguard national security following the closure of its border with Belarus.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told LRT Radio that Vilnius "retains the possibility to close transit if it is needed to ensure our security," stressing that any such move would be coordinated with the EU institutions and member states.

The statement follows Lithuania's closure of its border with Belarus on Monday, citing a series of "smuggling" incidents involving balloons that entered Lithuanian airspace last week, which temporarily grounded flights at Vilnius and Kaunas airports.

"No one can limit Lithuania's national security measures or what we decide to do to prevent threats, protect our citizens, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," Budrys said, adding that the government will take "everything required to ensure security."

Under an existing EU-Russia agreement, Russian cargo and passenger trains, as well as road traffic, are permitted to cross Lithuanian territory to reach Kaliningrad, Moscow's Baltic Sea exclave located between Lithuania and Poland.

The minister said Monday that the new border restrictions would not affect Kaliningrad transit, although President Gitanas Nauseda had raised the possibility of reconsidering it over the weekend.