A Russian diplomatic passport. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

EU countries have agreed to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc as part of a new raft of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

Consular staff at Russian diplomatic missions in the EU will now have to inform the national authorities of any plans to leave their host country for other EU states.

The initiative, proposed by Czechia, requires unanimous approval by all EU countries. According to FT sources, Hungary, which had previously opposed this measure, lifted its objections to the move.

The restrictions are needed “to restore reciprocity”, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told the FT, adding, “There is no ‘Schengen for Russia’, so it makes no sense that a Russian diplomat accredited in Spain can come to Prague whenever he likes. We should apply strict reciprocity to the issuance of short-stay, diplomatic visas under the Vienna Convention.”

The proposal comes in response to increased attempts at sabotage in the EU, which European intelligence agencies believe are often carried out by spies operating under diplomatic cover, the FT continued.

However, this latest raft of sanctions could be delayed due to an Austrian proposal to unfreeze shares worth about €2 billion in Strabag, an Austrian construction company once part-owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and transfer them to Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) as compensation for penalties RBI was ordered to pay by a Russian court. RBI remains one of the few banks operating both in Russia and the West.

Ambassadors representing at least a dozen EU countries said they would be unable to support the proposed 19th package of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine if it included the Austrian proposal, the FT said.