Lithuania's refusal to allow the passage of some goods subject to European sanctions to the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad could lead to a military confrontation, a senior Russian lawmaker said today, the Associated Press reported.

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If the Kaliningrad region is blocked, "it could lead to an armed conflict," said Vladimir Jabarov, a member of the Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament).

"The Russian state must defend its territory and ensure its security," he said, adding: "If we see that a threat to our security is associated with territorial loss, we will certainly take extreme measures and nothing will stop us." . 

Lithuania suspends the transit of sanctioned goods

Jabarov's statement followed the Kremlin's warning that it would respond to the imposed restrictions on the transit of goods to the Kaliningrad region.

Russia's exclave borders EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania, raising fears of a direct confrontation between Russia and the Alliance.

Lithuania stressed that the ban on the transit of sanctioned Russian goods is part of the EU's fourth package of sanctions, recalling that the restrictions apply only to steel and other metals.

She rejected Russia's claim that the ban on the passage of these goods was a blockade, stressing that other goods, as well as passengers traveling by train, could still pass through the country.

However, in connection with the European decision, the transit of some other goods produced in Russia will be banned from July.

Shipments of coal will not be able to transit from August, and shipments of oil and derived products - respectively from December.

Russia has threatened Lithuania with retaliation for refusing to transit goods to Kaliningrad

Earlier this month, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev warned that Moscow would respond with unspecified measures that "will have significant negative consequences for the population of Lithuania," added BTA.

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