The European Union is looking to ban all Russians from getting travel, work or business visas to travel to the EU regardless of the purpose, with the exception of Russian refugees. Russians won’t be able to travel to the EU anymore, do business or work in the EU. Only Russian refugees who seek to permanently move to the EU, to escape Putin’s regime, will be allowed in. This measure comes as a punishment for Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
According to a spokesperson for the European Commission, no EU member state has completely stopped providing visas to Russian citizens up to this point despite the Commission’s plans for a “coordinated response” to Russian visa bans.
Anitta Hipper, a spokesperson for the Commission, stated during a news conference in Brussels on Thursday that as of right now, “visa activities have not halted totally and in particular the humanitarian cases being cared for.”
In her words, the EU as a whole was facing “unprecedented problems” as a result of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine, which started in late February.
The official stated that on February 25, the bloc “moved promptly” by temporarily suspending the visa facilitation deal with Russia. According to Hipper, the Commission wants to create a “coordinated” visa strategy toward Russia. At the informal gathering of EU foreign ministers at the end of this month, she said, the topic of additional visa restrictions will be high on the agenda.
Early in September, the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, will also travel to Finland and Latvia to address the matter with the local authorities and to “understand the issues on the ground.”
The Narva, Luhamaa, and Koidula crossings on the Estonian-Russian border are now refusing entry to Russians with Estonian visas if they arrive.
Diplomats and their families, people working in international cargo and passenger transportation, those who are entitled to free movement under EU law, people who need to enter the Baltic nation for humanitarian reasons, and close family members of Estonian citizens or long-term residents are all given exceptions.
The amount of entry visas granted to Russians will be drastically reduced, with just 100 tourist permits being made available each day, the Finnish Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday.
Since Finland and the Baltic nations have called for an EU-wide visa ban in reaction to Moscow’s activities in Ukraine, the discussion of broad visa restrictions for all or the majority of Russian citizens has increased.
Germany and a few other members, though, are less enthused about the concept.
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, has already argued that not all Russians should be held accountable for what he called “Putin’s war.”
RELATED ARTICLES
- After Fooling the People to Reelect Putin, Russia now announces More Cannon Fodder Mobilizations
- Russia Fires Barrage of North Korean Missiles at Kyiv After US Visit
- Ex-Wagner fighters Join Free Russia Army's Battle to Liberate Russia from Putin Occupation
- Hungary Becomes First EU Country to Congratulate Putin for Winning the 'Elections'
- Putin says NATO Troops are already in Ukraine But Russia is Still Winning
Loading ...
