Lithuanian-Russian relations on access to the Könives entered a more conflicting stage. The leader of the governing Lithuanian Social Democratic organization Mindaugas Sinkevičius announced the anticipation of blocking rail and road transit to Körewiec. As he stressed, this would be a consequence to Russia's increasingly aggressive action and Belarus' support.
The list of provocations included blocking Lithuanian trucks at the Belarusian border and sending alleged smuggling balloons – illegal objects moving contraband from Belarus' airspace over Lithuania's territory. On Friday, November 21, Lithuanian State Railways introduced the first restrictions: the transport of cargo belonging to the Russian oil giant Łukoil was stopped.
Moscow is straight threatening war. "It's an act of aggression"
In consequence to Lithuanian actions, the Russian MP Andrei Kolesnik from the State Duma took the floor. In an interview with the TASS agency, he warned that the blockade of transit to the Kingship could be treated as an act of war, according to Russian military doctrine.
"The blocking of any of the Russian Federation's entities is tantamount to the declaration of war," said Kolesnik, recalling that the Kaliningrad region is surrounded by NATO states, which could lead to a wide conflict in case of escalation.
Symbolic comparisons and allegations against Lithuania
Colesnik continued his verbal offensive in a conversation with the Lenta.ru portal, where he accidentally referred to smuggling balloons. “Lithuania can crack like this celebrated balloon,” he said. “In fact, the full country is specified a balloon,” he added, suggesting that Lithuania is acting irrationally due to the fact that it has been profiting from Russian transit for years.
The rhetoric utilized by Russian politics leaves no illusions: Moscow treats Lithuanian decisions as a blow to Russia's strategical interests and can respond to them by force – although it has not been specified how this would look in practice.
Another hot place at NATO borders?
The royal circuit, which is simply a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania, has for years been a strategical inflame in Moscow's relations with the West. There are, among others, rocket launchers and a large group of Russian troops. Any limitation in logistics access to this region is perceived by the Kremlin as a military threat.
Russian-Lithuanian tensions coincide with the tightening of relations between NATO and Belarus and Russia. The smuggling balloons, formerly utilized mainly on the border with Poland, now become part of the hybrid war besides against Lithuania.
In the face of the expanding tensions in the Baltic region, any decision by Lithuania towards a complete closure of the transit to Körewiec may consequence in another crisis on the east flank of NATO. The rhetoric of war returns to European politics again – this time with a balloon as a symbol.
