Kremlin says work still to be done on EU Kaliningrad transit deal

Lithuania had stopped Russia from sending sanctioned goods via rail to Kaliningrad in June, triggering an outcry from Moscow and a promise of swift retaliation.

The Kremlin said on Thursday there was still work to be done over a European Union ban on the transit of sanctioned goods to the Russian territory of Kaliningrad.

Brussels said earlier this week the transit ban only affected road, not rail, transit, and Lithuania should therefore allow Russia to ship sanctioned goods like concrete, wood, and alcohol across EU territory to its Kaliningrad exclave. "Work and contact will continue because there are still a number of questions to be answered," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania and cut off from the rest of Russia, is uniquely exposed to the impact of EU sanctions. Lithuania had stopped Russia from sending sanctioned goods via rail to Kaliningrad in June, triggering an outcry from Moscow and a promise of swift retaliation. Russian officials said the ban could have affected up to half of all cargo shipments to Kaliningrad, though Lithuania said only around 15% would be hit.

Russia welcomed the clarification, though the governor of Kaliningrad said retaliatory measures remained "on the table" should the exclave face be cut off from the Russian mainland.