Let them get permits like everyone: the Czech Republic offers to limit the movement of Russian diplomats in Europe

Since the beginning of the full -scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, a number of EU countries have been sent Russian diplomats, suspecting them of espionage. However, the EU countries are still issuing visas to Russian diplomats, thus giving them access to the Schengen area and the right to move easily on 24 from 27 EU member countries, as well as Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.

Last week, Prague suggested in the negotiations on the 12th package of EU sanctions against Moscow to limit the movement of Russian diplomats by EU countries. The package is yet to be approved by Member States. For example, last year, Prague sent more than 70 Russians because of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the probable involvement of Russia in the attack on ammunition in the Czech Republic in 2014, which killed two people.

Now the Czech Republic wants Russian diplomats to receive visas and residence permits that make travel only within the country of stay, not the rest of the Schengen area. The Czech Republic also wants the EU to receive only biometric passports because they are harder to fake them. Prague raised questions about officials receiving Austrian visas to work in UN institutions in Vienna and can then travel to the Czech Republic or other countries.

"Agents (Russian military intelligence) of GRU and other services arrive in the Czech territory. It is very difficult to control it in the Schengen area," one of the EU diplomats said. So far, the Czech proposals are under discussion. Recall that the mission of the Russian Federation in the UN is a scout and spies that monitor one by one and poison their lives to other members of the UN Security Council, the permanent representative of Ukraine in the UN Sergey Kislytsy said.