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Lithuania to face painful backlash unless transit issue resolved, warns Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova also pointed to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis’s remark that Russia should not have a diplomatic victory in terms of sanctions

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Lithuania will face significantly stinging retaliation from Moscow unless the dilemma over the transit of goods to the Kaliningrad Rregion is normalized, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.

"We are keeping a close eye on how the situation is unfolding. We once again confirm that Russia is working on retaliatory measures that will be painful for Lithuania. They will be taken if the situation around the transit to Kaliningrad fails to normalize," she emphasized.

"We hope that our so-called partners will eventually show common sense, though the situation certainly has nothing to do with partnership relations," Zakharova added.

The diplomat also pointed to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis’s remark that Russia should not have a diplomatic victory in terms of sanctions. "Since you are talking about victories, dear politicians in Brussels and Lithuania, then you should make a statement that you started a war. Or did we get you wrong?" Zakharova asked.

On June 18, Lithuania notified the Kaliningrad authorities of a ban on the rail transit of sanctioned goods to the Russian exclave. The prohibition was expanded to truck transit on June 21. The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin stated that Lithuania’s actions run counter to international agreements. Regional Governor Anton Alikhanov said on June 24 that according to some reports, the European Union was ready to make some concessions on the transit of goods. However, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said later that his country was unwilling to do so.

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