The Baltic states and Poland are working to stop the transit of Russian and Belarusian trucks, Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Tuesday. But blocking the trucks from crossing these countries could be difficult because of the Kaliningrad transit, which is enshrined in European Union agreements.
“Today, I have signed a joint appeal by the transport ministers of the three Baltic States and Poland to the EU institutions and other colleagues, calling for an EU-wide ban on road transit to and from Russia and Belarus, along with a ban on the entry of these countries’ ships into EU ports,” Skuodis wrote on Facebook.
The Kaliningrad Oblast is Russia’s exclave situated on the Baltic Sea that borders Lithuania and Poland. When the two countries sought to become EU members, Russia expressed concern that it could hurt the transit of both people and goods to and from Kaliningrad.
Such Russian concerns received the attention of Germany, France and Italy. As such, on November 11, 2002, the EU signed a joint statement with Russia, which ensured the facilitation of transit of Russian citizens and goods to or from the Kaliningrad region.
It is the EU-Russia agreement signed two decades ago that prevents the Baltic states and Poland from implementing a full Russian blockade. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė confirmed back in February.
“The Kaliningrad transit is part of EU law. It is a special EU agreement with the Russian Federation. We should stay out of this because it is not Lithuania’s decision. We can close the Lithuanian airspace, but the decision on the Kaliningrad transit is up to the EU,” Šimonytė said.
EU discussions
According to Skuodis, the decision on the Russian blockade should be taken at the EU level because regional measures could be circumvented.
“We, the Baltic ministers, together with the Polish ministers, want to take this discussion to the EU level because the solution would be effective if it were done by all EU members at the same time,” Skuodis said.
“What is particularly important is that the solution is twofold, covering both road transport and maritime transport. If only roads are blocked, it is possible to transport goods by ships,” he added.
According to the minister, the EU could decide to “close the borders [with Russia] or to abolish certain exemptions”, by which he meant the Kaliningrad transit.
Asked about the closure of seaports to Russian ships, Skuodis said that the EU politicians have been discussing this issue for three weeks and if the bloc fails to agree, “we will inevitably return to a regional solution”.
Read more: Protest at Lithuania-Belarus border angers Russian, Belarusian truck drivers
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
