The European Union told member states that sanctioned goods transiting from Russia are not prohibited if they’re moving by rail, in a move that may calm tensions with Moscow over its Kaliningrad exclave.
National authorities still have the right to conduct checks -- including on rail cargo -- for sanctioned military and dual-use goods, which are banned regardless of the mode of transport, the bloc said. Member states need to ensure transit volumes are in line with previous years to ensure there is no circumvention of sanctions. The EU also reaffirmed that sanctioned goods may not be moved by road.
