Zakharova responded to the Czech Foreign Minister's words about Russian diplomats with a quote from Vysotsky.

If a ban is imposed on the free movement of Russian diplomats across the territory of the European Union (EU), European diplomats in Russia will be "saddled and hobbled." This was stated on August 26 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, quoting a line from Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The Pacer's Run."

Earlier that day, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky proposed restricting the free movement of Russian diplomats in the Schengen area. He clarified that at the end of this week, the EU foreign ministers will discuss this issue at an informal summit with the head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas.

"So, according to Vysotsky's apt phrase, their diplomats will be "saddled and hobbled" in response," Zakharova said in an interview with TASS.

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Lipavsky also said that a ban on the free movement of Russian diplomats inside the Schengen area may appear in the new, 19th package of EU sanctions against Russia. In an interview with Politico, he added that the movement of diplomatic staff makes it difficult for intelligence officers to track them.

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