The European Union is discussing restricting the movement of Russian diplomats

The European Union is discussing the possibility of limiting the movements of Russian diplomats across the union's territory, Politico reports, citing a source. In 2023, this proposal was made by the Czech Republic.

As the publication writes, the idea is to limit the travel of diplomats from Russia to the country in which they are accredited. Currently, they can move freely throughout the Schengen area. The restrictions are proposed to be introduced as part of the 13th package of sanctions, which is being prepared for the second anniversary of the start of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine.

Politico's interviewee talks about the complex implementation of this restriction. There are no borders or checkpoints between EU countries, and most travel within the Schengen area is uncontrolled. The publication notes that the Czech Foreign Ministry proposed introducing biometric passports for diplomats.

In November 2023, the Financial Times wrote that the European Union was discussing possible restrictions on movement. According to the newspaper, the proposal came from the Czech authorities. The initiative was explained by the fact that “agents of the GRU and other services are arriving on the territory of the Czech Republic.”

Earlier, the German agency DPA reported that by February 24, the European Union would impose sanctions against 200 Russian individuals and companies. By the same date,  the EU intends to resolve the issue of withdrawing the frozen assets of the Bank of Russia.