Irina Borogan and Andreï Soldatov are two renowned Russian journalists, authors in duet of books translated all over the world on the mysteries of the Russian secret services (in France appeared The Heirs of the KGB. Survey of new boyars, ed. François Bourin, 2011), but also on Runet, the Russian Internet, and the stakes of the control of the numerous Russian diaspora abroad by the Kremlin.
Having themselves left Vladimir Putin’s Russia a few years ago, they believe in a long analysis published by the journal Foreign Affairs that the current indiscriminate restrictions on Russian citizens wishing to travel to the West are counterproductive and even dangerous:
“These travel restrictions run directly counter to Western interests, both in terms of the war in Ukraine and support for anti-Putin movements in Russia.”
The two authors trace the history of this unprecedented toughening of Europe towards Russian nationals in general, which today leads to visas being issued bit by bit, if not at all, and to accusations of more and more explicit concerning the collective responsibility of the Russians in the excesses of the Kremlin:
“Initially, this campaign was mainly about