Russia has systematically maintained contacts with far-right and far-left parties, and other personalities and movements to gain support from institutional actors within the union in order to legitimize its illegal and criminal actions," the draft statement, set to go to the vote on Thursday and subject to change or rejection, read.

Many members states have “limited operational capacities” against espionage. Moreover, “their cooperation at the EU level is hampered by differences in threat perceptions and a lack of mutual trust.”