The focus on security risk: Lithuania monitors Russian transitions!

The focus on security risk: Lithuania monitors Russian transitions!

Kena, Litauen - The relationship between Lithuania and Russia remains tense, especially with regard to the transit of Russian trains to Kaliningrad. Daily trains run from Moscow to the Kaliningrad exclave and drive through Lithuanian territory. Lithuania has seen these trains as a potential security risk since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, especially in view of the widespread fears of a possible military escalation. Tagesschau reports that Lithuanian border protection officers not only monitor the transit trains on the ground, but also from the air.

at Kena station, the border with Belarus, only border officials are allowed to enter the trains. The strict controls stipulate that trains at Lithuanian train stations are only allowed to stop, which limits the number of passengers traveling to Kaliningrad to about 160. The Lithuanian military has significant concerns that Russia is covered by soldiers or military equipment, while strict rules for the transport of goods apply. Class = "Source_2"> Watson adds that Lithuania has banned the transit of EU sanctioned goods, such as steel, cement and luxury goods, to Kaliningrad, which is called a blockade by Russia. President Putin threatens retaliation.

security concerns and protests

Lithuanian society is divided when it comes to dealing with these transit trains. However, some citizens, such as the municipal chairman Ruta, call for a complete ban, see the risks that such a ban could be interpreted as a provocative act towards Russia. As part of a silent protest, people at the Kena Banner train station hang up to the Ukraine conflict, while others, such as Raimondas Pranka in his pub in Vilnius, publicly demonstrate their support for Ukraine.

The historical fear of Lithuania about Russia, especially after the Soviet occupation of 1940, remains a strong motive for current politics. The Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte emphasized that the transit restrictions are based on EU sanctions and should not be interpreted as a blockade. The country has invested over 100 million euros in border protection to counter this persistent threat.

strategic importance of Kaliningrads

Kaliningrad plays a strategically crucial role for Russia, since the region is home to the Russian Baltic Sea fleet and is equipped with nuclear weapons-capable Iskander missiles. In response to the increasing tensions, NATO decided to have an increased troop presence on the eastern flank, with Germany taking on a leadership role in Lithuania. In this context, the location of the Donetsk and Luhansk region, where pro-Russian separatists are active under Putin's leadership, is of considerable interest in the entire geopolitical situation.

The conflict in Ukraine, which began in 2014, also has an impact on perception and politics in Lithuania, since the government is concerned that a relaxation of the sanctions could further destabilize the security situation in the country. Br.de emphasizes that the possible negotiations between the "Volks Republiken" recognized in Luhansk and Donezk and Ukrainian Government also represent a risk factor for the region.

In the middle of this complex geopolitical situation, Andrius, a member of a Lithuanian special unit, hopes that peace will soon be possible and that the safety controls of the transit trains will no longer be necessary.