Germany is blocking tighter restrictions on Russian spies across Europe, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Czech Republic has proposed ending free movement for Russian diplomats and their families in the European Union’s Schengen zone amid a series of Kremlin-inspired attacks.
Warehouses containing aid destined for Ukraine, arms factories supplying Kyiv and railway infrastructure heading east have all been targeted by Russia’s mounting hybrid war on the Continent, it is claimed.
Moscow has often deployed its intelligence officers in Europe under the guise of diplomatic postings.
The EU’s free-travel area, which spans 29 countries, is “easing malign activities” across the bloc, Jan Lipasvsky, the Czech foreign minister, wrote in a recent letter to Josep Borrell, Brussels’ top foreign diplomat.
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Mr Lipasvsky, backed by eight EU counterparts, urged Brussels to “restrict the movement of Russian diplomats and their family members to the territory of a state of their accreditation only”.
“This measure will significantly narrow operational space for Russian agents,” they added.
Mr Borrell said their letter was a “sign of growing support for a collective response”, but warned there are “diverse views on the proposed restrictions”, in his own official response, seen by The Telegraph.
European diplomats who spoke to The Telegraph and diplomatic notes seen by this publication revealed that Germany is a key blockage to the proposed crackdown.
It prompted allegations that Berlin’s government is attempting to foster relations with Russia, despite promises to end its reliance on previously cheap Russian energy supplies.
“Germany has the approach of returning to business as usual with Russia and they think this is escalatory,” a diplomat said.
Officially, Berlin has argued that a move to strip free movement rights from Moscow’s foreign envoys would result in similar reprisals.
German officials expressed “fears of a strong Russian reaction” in conversations with European counterparts, according to a diplomatic note seen by The Telegraph.
The powerful European capital fears its “strong presence” in Russia could be hamstrung if bans are slapped on the movement of Russian diplomats.
There are 350 German diplomats posted in Russia between its embassies in Moscow and St Petersburg.
Berlin closed consulates in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Kaliningrad more than a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Italy, a member of the G7, emerged as another opponent because of the large number of Italians living in Russia, diplomats said.
Rome has argued that it would not be able to offer consulate services across Russia if the Kremlin responds with tit-for-tat bans on diplomatic movements.
Its government also voiced support for maintaining “open diplomatic channels” with Moscow and there were other tactics to fight Russian intelligence agents, a diplomat said.
‘Many agents hide under diplomatic cover’
The Czech government estimates there are more than 2,000 Russians living on diplomatic passports, including family members and officials.
“It is no secret that there are many agents hiding under diplomatic cover. We don’t want to make their job any easier,” a Czech diplomat said.
Prague also wants a ban on Russians with non-biometric passports from entering the EU, an embargo already in force in the central European country.
Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, the Russian intelligence officers said to be responsible for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, entered Britain on forged passports.
Similarly forged documents were used by the Russian spies behind a deadly 2014 attack on a warehouse in Vrbětice, a small village in south-eastern Czech Republic, in an early bid to thwart supplies to Ukraine.
While not a member of the EU’s Schengen zone, The Telegraph understands that Britain is supportive of the Czech proposal.
The UK earlier this year expelled Russia’s defence attache, a registered diplomat, in response to a rise in “malign” Russian activity across Britain and Europe.
‘Open-ended and unbiased talks’
James Cleverly, the then-home secretary, also revoked the diplomatic status of several Russian-owned properties that were being used as spying bases.
Britain has also limited the time Russian diplomats are allowed to remain in the country.
A German foreign office spokesman said: “The Schengen Area without systematic border controls is one of the most important achievements in Europe.
“People enjoy freedom of movement within the Schengen Area – this also applies to diplomats.
“The Federal Foreign Office has taken note of the letter from several EU foreign ministers regarding restrictions on the movements of Russian diplomats within the Schengen Area.
“We are currently holding open-ended and unbiased talks with our EU partners on this matter.”
Source Agencies
