EU discusses new plan to restrict Russian diplomats’ movement

The European Union is considering a proposal that could potentially restrict the movements of Russian diplomats across the bloc’s territory, Euronews writes.

The plan would concern members of Russia’s diplomatic and consular missions, including administrative and technical staff as well as family members.

If approved, it would establish an obligation for Russian envoys to notify their intention to travel to or transit through another member state beyond their host nation.

The notification should be issued “at least 24 hours” before arrival, the document says, and lay out the means of transport and the date and point of entry/exit.

The receiving state would then have the possibility to either allow or deny passage.

“It’s a step forward in the right direction,” said a senior EU diplomat. “It’s important to act now rather than to wait for something to happen.”

The proposal was recently added by the European External Action Service (EEAS) to the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which is currently under negotiation.