European nation of Germany has warned Russia against taking countermeasures over Lithuania’s rail transit ban on EU-sanctioned goods to Moscow’s exclave of Kaliningrad.
Germany “firmly rejects” Russia’s threat of “serious” consequences for the transit stop, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a regular press conference.
It has now called on Russia “not to take any measures that violate international law,” Hebestreit said.
The threatened retaliation would have a “serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania,” Russia’s security council chief Nikolai Patrushev said Tuesday.
Recall that Russia has threatened Lithuania with unspecified consequences for blocking some rail shipments to Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad. It’s the latest dispute about sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine.
The threatened retaliation would have a “serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania,” Russia’s security council chief Nikolai Patrushev said Tuesday.
Meanwhile Germany has now risen in defense of Lithuania and warns Germany of the consequences if its threat is carried out.
In a statement signed and released by German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit where he said the country hopes Russia does not take laws into its hands.
“We call on Russia not to take any measures that violate international law,” German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.
He said Lithuania had taken these actions within the European Union framework of sanctions on Russia.
German noted that only certain goods are affected by the sanctions, and no people have been sanctioned.
“We therefore clearly reject countermeasures announced by Russia,” Hebestreit said during a regularly scheduled government news conference in Berlin, CNN reports.
Russia has said Lithuania’s transit ban on European Union-sanctioned goods to Russia through Kaliningrad is “unacceptable.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, also described the sanction as hostile, adding that Lithuania will have to bear the consequences of its action
He said that “[Response] measures are being prepared. After we carefully weigh everything, we will talk about it”.
