Nausėda says Russia’s railway border closures should not be linked to escalation

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has stated that Russia’s temporary closure of several railway border crossings with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia should not be interpreted as preparation for further escalation, LRT reports.

“We should not conclude that this is preparation for another stage of escalation. I do not think that is the case,” Nausėda told a press conference in Berlin on Friday.

According to the president, Russia’s decision not to close its railway line with Lithuania is technical and tied to Moscow’s dependence on goods transit through Lithuanian territory to its Kaliningrad exclave.

“This is because Russia depends on smooth transit of goods to the Kaliningrad region, which is only possible by crossing Lithuanian territory,” Nausėda said. He acknowledged that alternative supply routes, such as maritime transport, exist but are limited. “I know that Russia faces very significant challenges in fully utilising maritime transit capacities,” he added, describing the closures as a technical decision.

Nausėda met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Friday. The meeting also included Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal. Discussions covered preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, according to the Lithuanian presidency.

Russia’s government ordered a temporary suspension of movement of people, vehicles, goods, and cargo through railway border checkpoints in certain sections of the state border starting 1 July. Most of the closed points are on the border with Finland. Railway traffic has also been fully halted at the Pechory-Pskov checkpoint near Estonia and the Pytalovo checkpoint near Latvia. The Pytalovo crossing is part of the Rezekne–Karsava–Pytalovo railway line connecting Latvia with Russia’s Pskov region.

Latvia’s Constitutional Protection Bureau has cited Russia’s growing economic problems as a key factor behind the decision. While there has been public speculation that the move could be part of Kremlin information operations against the Baltic states, the bureau assesses that such activity would be ineffective and short-lived.