Kaliningrad: Russia's Strategic Baltic Exclave Faces Geopolitical Tensions
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Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave located between Poland and Lithuania, disconnected from mainland Russia.
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Its location gives it strategic importance to Russia militarily and economically.
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Tensions between Russia and the West make Kaliningrad a geopolitical hotspot.
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Historical factors led to Kaliningrad becoming an exclave when the Soviet Union collapsed.
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Putin sees retaining control of Kaliningrad as crucial to Russian security interests in the Baltics.