At the fifth session of the Baltic Assembly, held this weekend in Vilnius, legislators from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia called the future of Kaliningrad "a problem for all Europe" requiring regional and international attention. The assembly said Kaliningrad's demilitarization should be considered a "necessary element of the security process of Central Europe and Europe as a whole," according to the Baltic News Service.
"It has become a supermilitarized region," said Gintaros Yatkones, a spokesman for the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow. "Of course it alarms us. They're right up against the border of Lithuania. We'd much rather see Kaliningrad become a Russian economic outpost than a military outpost."
The assembly further demanded the return of historic, German names to the region. Kaliningrad was the capital of East Prussia until it was seized by the Soviet Union during World War II. Before falling under Soviet control, Kaliningrad was called Konigsberg, a name Baltic leaders would also like to see restored.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not hesitate to condemn the resolution, calling it a "graphic example of irresponsible political maneuvering. It is an attempt, at any cost, to attract world attention as compensation for the perceived lack of attention following the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic states," the ministry said in an official statement.
Sergei Zotov, head of the Foreign Ministry's delegation to Latvia, told the Moscow Times on Wednesday he thought the Baltic states had taken a step toward "escalating" their problems with Russia, adding, "it is not a friendly step."
Baltic leaders likely felt emboldened by traditional Western support for their issues, but Zotov called Lithuania the principal agitator in this case. He said the Foreign Ministry and appropriate legislative bodies will take up the matter and issue a response, he said. "I want to repeat that this is an extremely dangerous game."
Yatkones said the Baltic Assembly is not calling for an across the board demilitarization, but rather wants neighboring nations to analyze the situation.
"We are not demanding that Russia demilitarize Kaliningrad, but we're saying that the demilitarization of Kaliningrad would strengthen European security," he said. "I don't understand why this statement got such a stormy response."
"The resolution doesn't question Russia's sovereignty over Kaliningrad and is in no way an interference in Russian affairs," he continued. But the Baltics and Poland, he said, are alarmed at the Russian military presence there. "There are more troops there than in many other countries."
The Defense Ministry was unable Wednesday to provide an estimate of Russian military strength in Kaliningrad. According to the Associated Press, Western analysts have placed the number at about 200,000 troops. Baltic estimates range from 100,000 to 500,000. The last Russian troops pulled out of the Baltics earlier this year.
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