Sikorski calls for tighter Schengen restrictions on Russians after hybrid attacks

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BERLIN — Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said the recent wave of Kremlin-backed hybrid attacks across Europe calls for tighter restrictions on Russian diplomats and citizens traveling within the bloc.

“Russia is, after all, trying to destroy the EU from within and should not be allowed to take advantage of the privileges of free movement,” he said alongside his German and French counterparts following a joint meeting in the German city of Weimar on Thursday.

Sikorski’s comments came after the German government on Tuesday attributed an incursion by explosive-laden drones to Russia and announced a raft of retaliatory diplomatic measures . The move marked a hardening of Berlin’s approach to Moscow.

Sikorski called for restricting Russian diplomats’ freedom of movement to the countries where they are accredited, limiting the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens, requiring biometric passes for Russians entering the EU, and capping the number of Russian diplomats stationed within the bloc.

“We still have far too many Russian diplomats throughout the European Union. We estimate there are over 2,000, and we estimate that at least 40 percent of them are performing tasks that are inconsistent with their diplomatic status. They work for agencies that also carry out terrorist activities in our countries,” he said. “Therefore, in solidarity with Germany, we should implement all the necessary safeguards for our population.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris was ready to support further steps “if circumstances require it.”

Europe, and Germany specifically, have recently been confronted with a series of hybrid attacks. Only this week, there have been two attacks on power facilities in different parts of the country and one on a defense company — all of which are currently being investigated and have not been attributed by authorities.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul did not respond to a question on whether Russia was behind the arson attack on the defense company in Munich.

“I can’t say much about this publicly. After all, the security of Germany and the security of our allies take priority,” he said. “But we are always in a position to investigate these matters. The incident in Leipzig demonstrated this, and we are also always in a position to provide a response. This will continue to be the case in the future.”