Correct Answer : Option (D) - Russia
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict rages on, the spotlight is on Kaliningrad, Russia’s westernmost region.
Russia has warned Lithuania of serious consequences after it banned the rail transfer of some goods to the Russian territory of Kaliningrad.
Last week, the Lithuanian authorities announced they would ban goods subject to EU sanctions from passing through their territory to Russia.
Location :
* As Russia’s westernmost federal entity, the Kaliningrad Oblast occupies 15,000 sq km and houses under 1 million people. Russia is divided into 85 such oblasts, or states.
It is situated almost 300-km away from mainland Russia, and shares no borders with it.
* Home to the deployment of Moscow’s Iskander missiles and the Russian Baltic Fleet, Kaliningrad has been called the Kremlin’s “unsinkable aircraft carrier”.
History :
* The end of the Second World War marked an important milestone in Kaliningrad’s history.
* The Potsdam Agreement was signed by America, Britain and the former Soviet Union in 1945 in which Kaliningrad, then known as Königsberg, was ceded to Russia.
* This was done as the Soviet Union, under Stalin, had already taken control of the East Prussian territory due to its strategic geographic location..
Source : Indian Express
