Russian President Vladimir Putin has a sinister plan to destabilize Europe, Estonia has warned, Focus.de reported.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has called for a ban on Russian citizens entering the entire EU, because, according to him, Russia could send hundreds of thousands of former soldiers - including convicted criminals - to Europe.
Tsahkna said that the new threat from Russia is just that. If a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, former Russian soldiers and prisoners could be deliberately sent to Europe to wage hybrid warfare, writes Kyiv Independent. That is why the Estonian diplomat is calling for an EU-wide ban on former Russian soldiers.
“You can imagine what these hundreds of thousands of former fighters and criminals would do if they came here. They would do very bad things“, said Margus Tsahkna.
According to The Telegraph, Tsahkna warned of the Kremlin's plans at an EU summit in Brussels. Russia could send up to a million former soldiers, including convicted criminals, to Europe.
Estonia has already taken action and banned 261 former soldiers from entering the country. According to documents, up to 180,000 prisoners were recruited directly from Russian prisons for military service. Many of them have committed serious crimes.
Tsahkna stressed to The Telegraph that the UK could also play a role in implementing such a ban. Although the country is not part of the Schengen area, information on suspects can be shared. A British government spokesman said: “Border security is national security. We work closely with our partners to counter threats from Russia“. The EU is currently discussing policy guidelines for a full ban.