MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. Lithuania’s dependence on Washington and London had been no secret before a crisis over the transit of goods to Russia’s westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad emerged, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.
"As for the US pressure on Vilnius, it did not require another rise in tensions with the European Union in relation to the Kaliningrad transit. Unfortunately, it is a fact that has been clear for years. The United States and the United Kingdom have special relations with the Baltic countries. In many respects, these countries don’t have their own policy, they pursue a policy imposed on them by the Anglo-Saxon duo," Zakharova pointed out.
On June 18, Lithuania blocked the transit of goods sanctioned by the European Union to and from Kaliningrad. The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin stated that the move was unlawful and contradicted international agreements. The Lithuanian government and the EU leadership, in turn, noted that Vilnius had not introduced any unilateral or additional restrictions but was consistently implementing the current European sanctions. The European Commission released a guidance on Wednesday, saying that the rail transit of iron, steel, cement, wood, coal, crude oil, oil products and other non-military goods was not prohibited. Zakharova said that Moscow would closely monitor the EU’s steps with regard to the Kaliningrad transit issue. She said that the European Commission’s decision was based on a practical approach and common sense but Russia had some questions left unanswered.