Russia has described the actions of Lithuania ‘in recent times as ‘hostile’ while also warning the country of the consequences which they assured would be devastating.
A top Russian official, Nikolai Patrushev, who spoke to reporters on Wednesday described Lithuania’s announcement to ban the transit of European Union-sanctioned materials to Russia through Kaliningrad as ‘hostile’ while promising to retaliate.
The Ria Novosti, state-owned news agency, reported that Nikolai Patrushev, who is the secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said Lithuania will face the consequences of such action.
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‘Russia will certainly respond to such hostile actions. Measures are being worked out in an interdepartmental format and will be taken in the near future.
‘Their consequences will have a serious negative impact on the Lithuanian population,‘ he added.
Patrushev arrived in Kaliningrad, which is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic coast, on Tuesday to meet with its governor, Anton Alikhanov.
Lithuanian Railways, the state-owned railway company, had notified Russia that starting midnight on June 18, transit trains with goods subject to EU sanctions would no longer be allowed to pass through, Alikhanov said on his telegram channel Friday.
Meanwhile, the United States said Tuesday it stood firmly behind Lithuania and NATO commitments to defend it after Russia warned its neighbor over restrictions on rail transit.
‘We stand by our NATO allies and we stand by Lithuania,’ State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
‘Specifically our commitment to NATO’s Article Five — the premise that an attack on one would constitute an attack on all — that commitment on the part of the United States is ironclad,’ he said.
Lithuania, a former Soviet republic both in NATO and the European Union, has been among the most outspoken nations in opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.