After protests and threats from Moscow and Minsk, the European Commission apparently felt compelled to relax sanctions rules for goods traffic between Russia and the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad. For example, Russia is allowed to transport civilian goods on the sanctions list by rail through the EU country Lithuania without major restrictions. However, according to the document published on Wednesday, road transport by Russian freight forwarders across EU territory is still prohibited. In addition, no goods that can also be used for military purposes may be transported by rail.
According to dpa information, the EU commission states in its guidelines for the carriage of civil goods by rail that they may only be transported in the previously usual quantities. If during checks it is found that larger quantities of goods are being transported than usual, these must be stopped in accordance with the guidelines. This should prevent Russia from transporting goods on sanctions lists via Kaliningrad to other countries and thus avoid punitive measures.
Moscow had criticized the transit restrictions introduced in mid-June as “illegal” and threatened “practical” countermeasures against the Baltic EU and the NATO country if they were not reversed. In concrete terms, Russia had discussed, among other things, the cancellation of the Russian-Lithuanian treaty at the state border. Lithuania’s exclusion from a common synchronous electricity grid was also discussed.
“No green corridor for special goods”
The point of contention is goods on EU sanctions lists, which include iron and steel products, as well as fertilizers, wood and cement. Lithuanian head of state Gitanas Nauseda had repeatedly called on the EU to show solidarity in the dispute. “We want to emphasize, and this is our position, that there should be no green corridor for special goods,” said recently.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
