The overseas ministers of eight EU international locations despatched a letter to the bloc’s overseas coverage chief, obtained by AFP on June 13, asking him to cease the motion of Russian diplomats within the Schengen space.
They declare that the free motion of Russian diplomatic passport holders within the visa-free Schengen space facilitates “malign actions”, amid considerations that Moscow is stepping up its makes an attempt to sow divisions throughout the EU.
“We imagine that the EU ought to… limit the motion of members of Russian diplomatic missions and their households solely to the territory of a state to which they’re accredited,” the eight ministers mentioned.
The letter addressed to the top of overseas coverage is signed by the Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish and Romanian ministers and dated June 11.
The proposed measure “will considerably cut back the working house for Russian brokers,” they added.
EU international locations have already drastically decreased the variety of Russian diplomats on their territory for the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022.
The ministers mentioned that “intelligence, propaganda and even the preparation of acts of sabotage are the primary workload of a lot of Russian ‘diplomats’ within the EU.”
The Czech Republic and Poland lately arrested arson suspects, alleging their crimes had been incited by Russia.
Lithuania, in flip, is grappling with Russia’s try to unilaterally lengthen its maritime border to its coast.
“Russia has been finishing up huge operations in Europe for years, with quite a few victims and important materials harm,” the letter reads.
The ministers ask Borrell to “urgently current a proposal for a concrete textual content of restrictive measures.”
To allay considerations about Moscow’s retaliation, ministers say they are going to come at “a a lot decrease price than the potential harm that Russian brokers and diplomats could cause throughout Europe.”