Lithuania applies EU's Russia sanctions, doesn't take unilateral measures! Josep Borrell

Lithuania is only abiding by European Union sanctions as it restricts transit to Russia's Kaliningrad region, but Lithuania is not taking any unilateral measures, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. "Lithuania has not taken any unilateral national restrictions and is only applying European Union sanctions," Borrell said at a press conference in Luxembourg. Brussels "will double-check legal aspects in order to verify that we are completely in line with all the rules," he said. Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov said last Friday that the rail transit of goods to the Kaliningrad region from other parts of Russia would be significantly constrained by the Lithuanian authorities. Lithuania has begun a ban on the rail transit of goods subject to European Union sanctions to the Russian far-western exclave of Kaliningrad, transport authorities in the Baltic nation said on June 18. The EU sanctions list includes coal, metals, construction materials, and advanced technology. #eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Landsbergis #Lithuania #Kaliningrad #Russia #imports #customs Anton Alikhanov, the governor of the Russian oblast, said the ban would cover around 50 percent of the items that Kaliningrad imports. Alikhanov said the region, which has an ice-free port on the Baltic Sea, will call on Russian federal authorities to take tit-for-tat measures against the EU country for imposing the ban. He said he would also seek to have more goods sent by ship to the oblast. The cargo unit of Lithuania's state railways service set out details of the ban in a letter to clients following "clarification" from the European Commission on the mechanism for applying the sanctions. Previously, Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Mantas Adomenas said the ministry was waiting for "clarification from the European Commission on applying European sanctions to Kaliningrad cargo transit." The commission stated that sanctioned goods and cargo should still be prohibited even if they travel from one part of Russia to another but through EU territory. The European Union, United States, and others have set strict sanctions on Moscow for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The ministry did not comment on the issue following the state railway confirmation. Russia's Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, became part of the Soviet Union after World War II. It has a population of about 430,000 people and hosts the headquarters of Russia's Baltic sea fleet. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday that Lithuania was following EU sanctions in blocking certain goods heading by rail to the Russian exclave Kaliningrad. "Lithuania has not taken any unilateral national restrictions and only applies the European Union sanctions," Borrell said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "The accusation against Lithuania that it is implementing Lithuanian sanctions is false, pure propaganda." Borrell that the EU would nonetheless "double check" the guidelines from Brussels to check that they "completely aligned with any kind of rule. "But Lithuania is not guilty, is not implementing national sanctions, is not implementing their will," he said. "Whatever they are doing is a result of previous consultations".