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Joe Barnes Profile picture
@Barnes_Joe
Sep 4 • 8 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
Germany has been accused of blocking a push to restrict free movement for Russian diplomats across the Schengen free-travel zone. The Czech Republic has proposed the ban to stop Russian spies moving freely amid reports of espionage and sabotage across Nato. 1/
A source tells me: ‘Germany has the approach of returning to business as usual with Russia and they think this is escalatory.’ German officials have told EU colleagues that the ban would provoke retaliatory measures from Moscow, hurting Berlin’s diplomatic presence in Russia. 2/
Italy has raised similar opposition to the Czech scheme because it fears tit-for-tat reprisals would limit consulate services across Russia for the many Italians living there. Rome also favours keeping ‘open diplomatic channels’, according to a briefing note I’ve seen. 3/
Josep Borrell, the EU's top foreign diplomat, in a previously unreported letter to the Czech foreign minister and eight EU colleagues, warned there were ‘diverse views on the proposed restrictions’, making it difficult to reach an EU-wide decision. 4/
The Czech government estimates there are 2,000 Russians living on diplomatic passports in Europe's Schengen zone, including family members and officials. The Kremlin has been known to plant spies in Europe under diplomatic cover. 5/
Full story below
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/202…
The German response from its foreign ministry: '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.'

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More from @Barnes_Joe

Joe Barnes Profile picture
Jul 16, 2023
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace made unwanted headlines with his comments about 'gratitude' and 'Amazon' over Western aid to Ukraine, but his press briefing at Nato contained some fascinating, and largely unreported, intel on Kyiv's counter-offensive. 1/
Wallace dismissed concerns over the pace of Ukraine’s offensive. He said Kyiv’s forces were ‘advancing every day’, but had been somewhat slower than expected because Russia's lessons learned and they've adapted accordingly. /2
Ukrainians have been forced to dismount from their Western-supplied vehicles and wade through dense Russian anti-tank minefields on foot, Wallace said, because Kyiv's lack of 'combat engineering capabilities', often under heavy fire from Russian drones and artillery. /3
Read 9 tweets
Joe Barnes Profile picture
Jun 12, 2022
1/ Here's what to expect when Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, sets out the contents of her Northern Ireland Protocol Bill to the Commons on Monday afternoon.
It will make changes to four key areas of the current agreement;
Customs
VAT & subsidies
Divergence
Governance
2/ Why is the Gov introducing the bill? Truss will say it is needed because the EU has not shown a willingness to change the text of the current Protocol and address the issues being caused in NI, and now Gov is obliged to act to protect the GFA and restore political stability.
3/ Problem 1: Truss will promise to remove almost all trade checks in the Irish Sea introduced as a result of the Protocol. The legislation will introduce a 'green lane' to get rid of onerous checks for goods destined for NI's shelves and not the EU's Single Market.
Read 13 tweets
Joe Barnes Profile picture
Feb 24, 2022
'The world can see unity is our strength,' says Ursula von der Leyen. 'We will hold Russia accountable for this outrageous violation of Ukraine's sovereignty snd territorial integrity.'
'We will later today present a package of massive and targeted sanctions to European leaders for their approval,' Ursula von der Leyen adds.
'This package will include financial sanctions that harshly limit Russia's access to the capital markets,' VDL says. 'The second main pillar of our sanctions concerns access to crucial tech. We want to cut off Russia from the tech desperately needed today to build a future.'
Read 4 tweets
Joe Barnes Profile picture
Feb 24, 2022
Big, moment for EU leaders today. Despite reaching an agreement on sanctions yesterday, many EU nations were palpably angry the measures didn’t go far enough, because the bloc couldn’t target oligarchs, like the US and EU.
Source says: ‘It risks Global Britain trumping Europe.’
EU leaders hold an emergency summit in Brussels this evening, will they be able to agree on a genuinely tough package, or will the doves - Italy, Spain, Austria, to name a few - insist on further ‘incremental’ steps in the face of a full-blown Russian invasion of Ukraine.
‘Member states are asking Borrell to get his sanctions game back on track," an EU diplomat told me.
‘Unlike the UK and US, the EU has been unable, and Borrell unwilling, to broaden their scope, particularly to hurt more oligarchs.’
Read 4 tweets
Joe Barnes Profile picture
Feb 22, 2022
.@jensstoltenberg 'This is the most dangerous moment in European security for a generation.'
'Every indication is Russia continues to plan for a full-scale attack on Ukraine, we see ongoing military build-up, they promised to step back but continued to step up,' @jensstoltenberg added.
Nato also backs UK/US in saying latest Russian aggression is an invasion. 'I think we have to recall Russia has already invaded Ukraine, they invaded Ukraine back in 2014… what we see now is a country that is already invaded is suffering further invasion,' says @jensstoltenberg
Read 5 tweets
Joe Barnes Profile picture
Feb 22, 2022
Hungary only EU state to resist new sanctions package, Italy and Austria were resisting but ultimately came on board - but helped water down the response.

Of the three, an EU diplomat says: 'It wouldn’t be the first time they find themselves on the wrong side of history.'
EU's latest sanction mirrors its 2014 response to the annexation of Crimea, travel bans and asset freezes on people involved. These measures upgraded to hit 351 Duma reps that voted in favour of recognition of Ukraine's breakaway states, and military commanders involved.
Hungary's Viktor Orban has been a long-time ally of Vladimir Putin, and has publicly stated EU should opt for dialogue instead of sanctions to avert a war.
Read 7 tweets

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