Berlin urges EU visa curbs after Italy-issued visa linked to Leipzig plot

Germany has called on the European Union to restrict tourist visas for Russian citizens after a Belarusian national was reported to have been travelling on a visa issued by Italy while allegedly plotting an attack on Leipzig airport, the Guardian reported on Friday.

The case has reopened a sensitive debate inside the bloc over how to handle Russian nationals seeking entry for leisure while security services across Europe warn of a campaign of sabotage and hybrid attacks linked to Moscow.

For Italy, the episode places the spotlight on its visa-issuing practices at a moment when the country's eastern border and consular networks are under greater scrutiny from EU partners.

According to the Guardian, the suspect in the Leipzig case was a Belarusian national said to have been issued a tourist visa by Italy. German authorities have pointed to the case as evidence that loopholes remain in the EU's visa regime for Russian and Belarusian travellers, even as many member states have tightened entry rules since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The German push comes amid a broader European debate about how to respond to a wave of suspected sabotage incidents, from undersea cable damage in the Baltic to arson and attempted attacks on infrastructure. Several EU governments have argued that restricting tourist visas is one of the few levers available that hits ordinary Russians while avoiding direct confrontation with Moscow.

The Italian angle is significant for this region. Friuli-Venezia Giulia shares a border with Slovenia and is a transit corridor for travellers moving between the Balkans, Central Europe and the rest of Italy. The region's consular and border offices process a steady flow of visa applications, and any EU-wide tightening of rules for Russian and Belarusian nationals would be felt at crossings like Fernetti and Gorizia.

The Guardian noted that Germany's proposal is likely to face resistance from some member states that favour maintaining diplomatic channels and people-to-people contacts with Russian society. Others, particularly the Baltic states and Poland, have already imposed near-total bans on Russian tourist travel and are expected to support Berlin's call.

The case also raises questions about the consistency of visa enforcement across the Schengen area, where a visa issued by one member state grants access to the entire zone. Italian authorities have not publicly commented on the specific Leipzig case, and the Guardian's reporting did not include a response from Rome.

EU interior ministers are expected to discuss visa policy and the broader security situation at their next formal meeting, with Germany's proposal likely to be on the agenda. The outcome will determine whether the bloc moves toward a more harmonised — and more restrictive — approach to Russian and Belarusian travellers.