The European Union (EU) is once again embroiled in a bitter row with Hungary after the country decided to ease visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
A high-ranking Brussels official has warned that the measure could leave the EU vulnerable to security breaches as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine with the support of Belarus.
Ylva Johansson, the Europen Commissioner for Home Affairs, said on Friday: “Russia is a security threat. We need more, not less vigilance. Giving potential Russian spies and saboteurs easy EU access would undermine the security of us all,” said Ylva Johansson, the Europen Commissioner for Home Affairs.
“If their easy access scheme is a risk, we will act.
“We must remain vigilant as Russia employs every unconventional tool to destabilise the European Union and its values.”
The new permits for Russian and Belarusian citizens last for two years and can be renewed to add a third year.
This would then enable visitors to get permanent residency in Hungary, an EU member state.
The government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that many of the people coming to Hungary will be working on the construction of a nuclear plant using Russian technology.
Manfred Weber, the chair of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), has warned that this “loophole” creates a risk for “espionage activities.”
He added that this could enable “large numbers of Russians to enter Hungary with minimal supervision, posing a serious risk to national security.”
But a spokesperson for Mr Orban branded these comments as “absurd and hypocritical.”
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr Orban has angered his EU counterparts by questioning the bloc’s measures to help Kyiv defend itself against Moscow’s forces.
Last week, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, stripped Hungary of the right to host a security and defence meeting because of its stance on the war.
Mr Orban recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he said the EU had a “pro-war policy.”
Mr Borrell condemned the remarks, saying: “If you want to talk about the war party, talk about Putin. I can say that all member states – with one single exception – are very much critical about this behaviour.
“I think it was… appropriate to show this feeling and to call for the next foreign and defence council meetings in Brussels.”
Mr Orban met with Putin for what he called a “peace mission.”
But the meeting was condemned by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who branded it “nothing but an appeasement mission”.
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