Stategic importance of Kaliningrad

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If you have never head of it is a strip of land between Poland and Lithuania. Part of Russia but isolated the rest of Russia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad_Oblast

Do you think in light of the Ukrainian crisis could Kaliningrad figure in the carrot/stick strategy?

We may need to protect the NATO member in the Baltic states and Poland at some point.

Russia operate military presence there, a navy and troops. Russia has threatened to put nukes there, and has plans to build a nuclear reactors. It is potential threat to Baltics, but at the same time, it is dependent on the other countries for access.

Imagine how Russia would feel if it had a Polish/Lithuanian/Scandinavian enclave in Russia that had a military/naval presence. It is amazing it has been well tolerated. This is becuase at the fall of the soviet union, a line was drown under it, and there was a certain amount of mutual respect which is sadly degraded.

Russia threatened to put nuclear weapons there because NATO wanted to put a "missile shield" across eastern Europe pointed at Russia. If the EU and NATO care about the Baltics rather than simply using them as a pawn to oppose Russia then they should take steps to lessen Kaliningrad's isolation and then Russia will have less interest in causing trouble in the Baltic states which there are significant Russian population. NATO and EU membership shouldn't be used as a weapon against Russia, we should encourage cooperation and integration with Russia.

Kaliningrad is isolated becuase it is a remnant.

It is as much if not more Prussian/Polish. it will always be isolated, so long at it exist. Russia is not the only country with isolated enclaves. USSR was the last great colonial power. You tend to get these sort of territories.

Lithuania, Latavia, Estonia are not going to give way simply to placate Russia. These are Balkan not Russian cultures and areas. They are not part of the soviet block nor do the wish to.

This is feeling is stronger an more uniform than in Ukraine.

The Scandinavian countries are with their right to protect themselves too.

Actually the population of Russian in the Baltic is actually less significant and more predominately recent settlers, than in places like Ukraine.

Estonia is a case in point, and before WWII it was 88% Estonian, the majority are still Estonian today.

Russian during the USSR encouraged Russians to settle. Then have used this strategy as pretext for annexation/invasion before. Even in Central Asia, etc

Yes- Kaliningrad is isolated because its physically isolated- its seperated from the rest of the Russian Republic. Nobody can do anything about that- making it any less isolated. Its like Gibralter, or like Gitmo.

Here is a legal poser:

The city of Kaliningrad was originally the German city of Konigsburg East Prussia. Its a territorial spoil of war the Soviets helped themselves to when they redrew the boundry lines of eastern Europe after the WWII.

We Americans finally gave the Canal Zone back to Panama. And one might be tempted to suggest that Russia should give the Kaliningrad enclave back to its original owner as well. Trouble is that the original owner (Germany) is as feared by the nieghbors as is Russia. And the post world war two boundries cause the once major German city to be to be even more seperated from Germany than it is from Russia (Before 1945 Konigsberg was a contiguous part of Germany-now its seperated from the nearest part of Germany by hundreds of miles of Poland). So unlike Gibralter, or Hong Kong, or the Canal Zone, or Gitmo, if the colonial rulers were to give it up- I for one - dont know what country they would give it "back" to.

The reality is that Kaliningrad is now Russian and recognized as such. Konigsberg was completely destroyed and the Germans were driven out. WWII changed the borders of many states. 800,000 Russians live there now and there isn't a significant number of Germans, Poles, or Lithuanians. It is in the Baltic's best interest to cooperate with their Russian neighbor and that isn't on the agenda for the EU or NATO. The threat seems be against Kaliningrad rather than the other way around.

I believe Konigsberg was originally the capital of East Prussia, a German enclave that even in the days of the pre-ww1 German Empire was somewhat isolated from Germany and was surrounded by Poland. After WW2 Konigsberg was in ruins and the Germans who hadn't been killed were shipped to Berlin, and most of East Prussia was given to Poland, but apparently the Poles didn't want Konigsberg, so Russia settled Russians there and changed the name, I believe Kalinin was a war hero. The obvious solution would be an auto and train route connecting Kaliningrad with Russia, like the road that connected West Berlin to West Germany. Russia isn't THAT far away, it's closer than West Berlin was to West Germany.

It was not isolated before World War I?only the Polish Corridor made it an exclave.

Stalin demanded it as an imperial gain for Russia, because it's ice free. He deported the German population because they were in his way. It was a closed military city during the Cold War.

Exactly, but it was also isolated from the rest of Prussia until the late 18th century, before Prussia, Austria, and Russia agreed to gang up on Poland and conquer it, bit by bit in successive waves. East Prussia is actually where Prussia got started.

Not exactly.

What is now Kaliningrad was a continguous part of Germany until the end of the first world war.

The Polish corridor was given to Poland after that war to give Poland access to the sea - So all of East Prussia was seperated from the rest of Germany by that narrow piece of Polish land.

But East Prussia was like Upper Michigan being seperated from lower Michigan- a respectable sized province unto itsself. It wasnt until after the Second World War (when most of Prussia, and Pomerania were both ceded to Poland, you had that tiny enclave of land around Konigsberg left - not ceded to poland- and in limbo- a ridiculous District of Columbia sized piece of real estate on its own- REALLY isolated. Kalinin was a founding Bolshevik who died around 1946 (the time when the Soviets were redrawing the map of eastern europe) so thats who they named the city after.

Its been suggested that in these post soviet times that they rename the City, but not go back to Konigsberg. But name it after a favorite son of the city: 18th Centurey philosopher Kant. Call it Kantgrad. Works for me. And they wouldnt have to change the initials on the stationery.

I don't dispute that it is now a Russia territory, and taking it would be the equivalent of Russia's annexation of Crimea, and you could use similar arguments.

However I'm not saying that, I'm saying as a last resort, practically speaking we may ask them to de-militarise the area, or to leave, or restrict access. This could also come with some carrot depending on the circumstances.

Kaliningrad is sovereign Russian territory, NATO or the EU have no right to tell them what they can or can't do. They could put nuclear weapons there and there is nothing anybody could do about it and they would if threatened so why needlessly escalate this situation?

Comparing Kaliningrad to Crimea makes little sense to me as Kaliningrad is almost entirely Russian and wants to remain as such. Konigsberg does not exist anymore, there are almost Germans left and Germany makes no claim to the land. WWII changed the ethnic make up and borders of many countries so you can't exactly say that Kaliningrad is the only illegitimate one of the bunch. The EU should work out a deal with allows Russia to have better access in exchange for them giving assurances not to interfere in the domestic affairs of the Baltic states.

The point being the argument Russia use about its interests and a threats to its interests. It has made this point several times.

Putin has specifically made thinly veiled threats. Including nuclear threats.

If Russia acts aggressively in the Balkans, then NATO may take that view, and believe me under circumstances they are not going to care about Russia sovereign claims to that territory. It will be concerned about securing the Balkans and Scandinavia, other NATO members only.

Like you said in WWI territories changed hands and it can happen again.

If the put nukes there you have basically got the Cuban missile crisis all over again.

Poland, and the other surrounding nation have had special travel arrangements for this territory, under the period of friendship. They are under no obligation to continue this arrangement.