Trucks at the Chernyshevskoye checkpoint in the Kaliningrad region. File photoMOSCOW, July 11Russia has the opportunity to proportionally respond to the blockade of Kaliningrad transit, believes Russian Charge d'Affaires in Lithuania Sergey Ryabokon. which cargoes go through Russia by railroads, which pass through us already in transit to the European Union. Maybe we should think about whether we can reduce it by a similar proportion, as they have planned,» he said on the air of the Rossiya 24 TV channel.
Reuters: Lithuania has expanded restrictions on the transit of goods to KaliningradRyabokon also recalled the existence of the BRELL electrical system, which synchronizes the power systems of Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. «We need to look at the BRELL electrical system. Yes, they do not buy electricity from us, it's true , but they want us to insure them in case something breaks — a blackout, peak loads. If they need help from us, then they should not talk to us like that, «he added. Vilnius from June 18 stopped the transit to the Kaliningrad region of goods that fell under EU sanctions: building materials, metal, wood, cement, fertilizers, alcohol, caviar and other categories — in general, this is about 50 percent of the total traffic volume. The authorities claim that they were only complying with EU sanctions and will not make concessions to Russia on this issue. As Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted, Lithuania, having made such a decision, acted aggressively and went beyond unfriendly lines. Moscow reserves the right to protect national interests if the restrictions are not lifted. According to the governor of the Kaliningrad region, a diplomatic solution to the problem is expected.
