The Changing Military Importance of the Kaliningrad Region.

The Kaliningrad region has developed from being a military bastion of the Soviet Union threatening the West to being an exposed Russian exclave with much reduced forces mainly serving defensive functions. Russia strongly resisted NATO's enlargement and encirclement of Kaliningrad, but had to accept it as Russia was weak and could not stop it. When Russia became stronger under Putin, Kaliningrad was again brought under central control and the conditions in the Baltic Fleet were improved. The protection of Russia's sea communications and of its energy exports became the most important tasks apart from defending the region. However, as an effect of the war in Georgia and the US base agreement with Poland in 2008, Russia threatened to use Kaliningrad as a staging area for new Russian missiles, and the problem of military transit across Lithuania was again exacerbated. At the same time the global financial crisis hit Russia. Kaliningrad well reflects the ups and down in Russian relations with the West in this part of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]