According to Western military strategists, if the Russian president were to escalate the conflict in Ukraine into a direct confrontation with NATO, the Suwałki Corridor would likely be a top priority target.
After the Soviet Union's dissolution, the Russian Federation retained Kaliningrad, which ended up surrounded by Lithuania and Poland after both countries became part of NATO. This situation resulted in what is now known as the Suwałki Gap. Moscow attempted to secure a passage through the Polish side of the corridor to gain easier access to its newly separated territory of Kaliningrad. However, these efforts were unsuccessful. As an alternative, Russia negotiated agreements with the EU to ensure the transit of Russian citizens and goods through Lithuania.
Since Lithuania and Poland's accession to the EU in 2004, any travel between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia overland has required crossing the territory of at least one EU state.
The Suwałki Corridor holds immense strategic importance for NATO, the EU, and Russia. From the perspective of Western nations, it represents the sole land link to the three former Soviet Baltic republics – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – making them potential targets of Putin's actions if tensions escalate further.
For Russia, controlling the corridor would establish a land link between the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, the main base of Putin's Baltic Fleet, and its close ally, Belarus.
Suwałki Corridor Importance
