On August 9, the Valdai Club held an expert discussion on the prospects for the Kaliningrad transit.
The crisis in relations between Russia and the West, against the backdrop of the conflict in Ukraine, directly affects the Baltic region. The trigger for the aggravation was the European Union sanctions against Russia, introduced after the start of Moscow’s special military operation. These hit the transportation of goods to the Kaliningrad region. The Russian authorities announced that Lithuania had banned the transit of a wide range of Russian cargo. Moscow has threatened retaliatory measures. The European Union provided clarifications regarding the sanctions legislation, which, subject to certain conditions, made it possible to maintain rail transit. However, Lithuania continues to create obstacles, in particular, the bank servicing transport operations has announced that it will stop doing so. The normal functioning of transit is vital for the Kaliningrad region.
To what extent are the imposed restrictions legal from the point of view of international law? What can Russian diplomacy do to prevent the recurrence of such crises? To what extent is Russia prepared for the situation to worsen? What is required for the development of maritime transit in terms of providing port infrastructure and ships? How serious is their deficiency? Which goods is it critical for the region to obtain? Participants in the discussion answered these and other questions.