Europe is considering an entry ban on Russians: what is the reason?
фото: facebook European Parliament
This is reported by Politico .
Poland, Sweden and Estonia are calling for tighter entry rules for Russian citizens. The EU believes that tighter controls will help counter possible sabotage and sabotage.
Special attention is proposed to be paid to former Russian military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine.
Last year, Russian citizens received about 478,000 Schengen tourist visas. A significant number of them were multiple-entry, allowing holders to enter and exit Schengen countries multiple times.
Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the current system has vulnerabilities that could be exploited by Europe’s opponents. He said the European Commission plans to publish proposals in January, but Sweden would like to see it come sooner.
Some EU countries also plan to raise the issue of visa restrictions at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. They also intend to discuss the possibility of introducing additional restrictions on Russian diplomats.
Estonia is proposing to ban former Russian military personnel from entering the European Union. The country’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna said that this would amount to approximately 650,000 former combatants.
According to Tsakhkna, restrictions can be applied to specific individuals, but to more effectively protect the EU, a coordinated approach is needed at the level of the entire bloc.
The Estonian minister also expressed concerns that some former Russian military personnel may come to Europe with the support of Russian special services and pose a security threat, in particular due to possible involvement in organized crime and terrorist attacks.
By the way, the European Union is considering the possibility of strengthening control over the movement of Russian diplomats due to the growth of hybrid threats related to Russia . Brussels is discussing a mechanism under which Russian representatives may need permission to travel to other EU countries or transit through their territory.
Earlier, the Main Intelligence Directorate warned partners about the preparation of Russian special services for hybrid operations in the EU and NATO countries . According to intelligence, the aim of such actions is to undermine assistance to Ukraine and weaken the capabilities of the Alliance.
The day before, Estonia stated that Russian special services were behind the arson of the building of the defense company Milrem Robotics in Tallinn . The country’s Foreign Ministry will summon the temporary charge d’affaires for Russia over the incident.
Recall that earlier, “Pryamiy” wrote about Russian sabotage at defense enterprises in Europe . Among the incidents mentioned was the arson of the Milrem Robotics building in Tallinn on the night of August 15.
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