MOSCOW 

Russia expects Lithuanian authorities not to take “provocative” steps on its access to Kaliningrad, its Baltic exclave, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

In a statement on the ministry website, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cited Lithuania’s obligations to ensure unhindered transit to and from the Kaliningrad region under Russia-EU agreements from 2002 and 2004.

"We expect that the Lithuanian side will still refrain from such a provocative step," she stated.

Zakharova stressed that "there should be no doubt that under any circumstances and conditions, the Russian Federation will meet the needs of its westernmost region."

She said Moscow would closely monitor the situation around Lithuania’s decision to indefinitely close two remaining road border checkpoints with Belarus without justification.

Lithuania cites 'interests of security'

On Wednesday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, echoing an earlier statement by President Gitanas Nauseda, said Vilnius reserves the right to block Kaliningrad transit "in the interests of security." According to him, such a decision could be prompted by "certain actions" taken by the Russian side.

He said transit through Lithuania to and from Russia’s Kaliningrad region is regulated by arrangements between the EU and Russia and therefore, “No one can restrict Lithuania from taking action in the interest of national security, preventing threats, protecting citizens, sovereignty, or territorial integrity.”

Talks of restricting access to Kaliningrad follow reported incident of smuggling cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania using balloons. Lithuanian authorities said no such incidents have originated from Kaliningrad.

Transit between mainland Russia and its enclave Kaliningrad – which borders Lithuania and Poland and is situated apart from contiguous Russia – relies critically on land corridors through Lithuania, operating under the 2002 and 2004 EU-Russia agreements. This arrangement permits the movement of both goods and people via rail and road.

However, Lithuania maintains the right to suspend this transit on national security grounds, making the route a sensitive geopolitical issue, especially in times of heightened tension, as during the Ukraine conflict and European allegations of Russian drone violations, firmly denied by Moscow.