Media: EU advises diplomats to avoid events with Russian representatives

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has circulated “guidelines on communicating with Russian diplomats” to the permanent missions of UN member states in Geneva, RIA Novosti reports, citing a diplomatic source who spoke to Russia.

According to the source, the recommendations were first received by the European Union’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva and were subsequently forwarded to other diplomatic missions.

The EEAS document contains advice on how to interact with Russian diplomats. In particular, it recommends refraining from attending events involving them. If participation cannot be avoided, diplomats are advised to try not to appear on camera alongside Russian representatives.

The source said this is already the second such document issued by the EEAS.

Russian diplomats have reportedly already felt the impact of these recommendations. For example, other diplomats have stopped shaking hands with them, and in one case, Russian representatives were even asked to leave an event organised by another diplomatic mission.

In late October, the European Union adopted its 19th package of sanctions, which included restrictions on travel by Russian diplomats. At the time, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc was limiting the movement of Russian diplomats in order to counter attempts at destabilisation.

A Politico source in Brussels noted that while the main focus of the sanctions package is economic, the option to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats is “also particularly useful.”

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that EU countries had agreed to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc as part of the 19th sanctions package. An initiative proposed by the Czech Republic requires Russian diplomats working in EU capitals to notify the governments of other member states of their travel plans before crossing the host country’s borders.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has promised to take retaliatory measures in response to the restrictions on Russian diplomats.

Moscow considers Western sanctions illegal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that the Russian economy “functions under a huge number of restrictions,” and that the country has therefore developed a certain “immunity” to such measures.

By Tamilla Hasanova