Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, experts have feared that Kaliningrad could become a flashpoint in tensions between Moscow and Europe. Photographs of Russia's war in Ukraine displayed along the railway station where trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad pass by, as part of a protest by Lithuanians against the invasion. Its port, Baltiysk, is the westernmost harbor in Russian territory and, significantly, is ice-free throughout the year. When those countries joined, the exclave became surrounded on three sides by EU territory. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has urged NATO to increase the deployment of troops on its territory.

Source: CNN June 23, 2022 01:49 UTC