Latvian MEP Accused of Assisting Russian Spies With Schengen Visas

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Latvian MEP Tatjana Zdanoka is under scrutiny for allegedly coordinating visas for Russian spies.
• She has been in contact with the Russian security service since 2005.
• EU Parliament has confirmed that an investigation into Zdanoka has already been launched.

The Latvian member of the European Parliament, Tatjana Zdanoka, has been accused of assisting Russian spies with the obtaining of Schengen visas.

A new report has revealed that Zdanoka has been acting as a double agent for Russia, being in close contact with the FSB security service of Russia since 2005 and helping certain individuals reach the bloc by arranging visas for them.

According to the Telegraph, leaked messages have shown that Zdanoka, a former member of the Soviet Communist Party, has been in contact with two veteran handlers from the FSB security service.

She required them to provide funding in order to be able to carry out her duties in Brussels as asked by the Russian side and, at the same time, disclosed information that Russia was interested in.

The messages that have been published by Russia Insider show that Zdanoka had direct communication with Dimitry Gladey, who is an employee of the FSB in the St Petersburg office.

As the Telegraph explains, in their exchange of messages, Zdanoka sent the agenda of a conference that was set to be held in Estonia. The agenda was yet unpublished when she forwarded it, and the event was being held for the purpose of discussing the experience of Russian politicians in municipal governments.

In addition, the leaked messages revealed that Zdanoka apologised for not sending the information she had promised and listed all the other tasks that she had completed.

It has been disclosed that Zdanoka also used her power as an MEP to help another FSB agent she worked with to obtain a Schengen visa to enter the EU for the purpose of visiting the EU Parliament only a couple of weeks after Russia invaded Crimea.

Following the leaking of the messages, an EU Parliament spokesperson confirmed that an investigation into Zdanoka has already been launched. While the spokesperson did not give a timeline for when a decision on the matter is to be made, it is believed that the EU will take measures on the matter soon.

Tatjana Zdanoka represents the Russian Union party in Latvia. She had previously been criticised by the Latvian authorities for travelling to Crimea in the role of an independent observer.

Her strong links with Russia have been supported by several cases, with the most recent one being her vote against the EU Parliament’s resolution in support of Ukraine.