In the EU are going to strengthen the visa regime for Russians – Politico

Politico, citing the European Commission, said the EU is preparing to strengthen its position on issuing visas to Russian citizens after many years of pressure from Member States, located along its eastern border.

Source: “European Truth” with reference to Politico

Details: According to the representative of the EC, in the new recommendations for the EU countries, which should be published at the end of the year, more stringent restrictions on the issuance of visas to Russians and citizens of other hostile countries will be recommended.

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Two European diplomats in countries bordering on Russia stated that their governments have been lobbied in Brussels for years, and one of the diplomats called them long ago.

The EU has already terminated the Visa Regime Agreement with Russia in September 2022 after Moscow launched a full -scale invasion of Ukraine, which made the process of applying for a visa more expensive and more complicated.

But the issuance of visas remains the responsibility of individual Member States, which means that the executive power of the European Commission cannot impose a complete ban on the entry of the Russians to the block.

As a result, national policy is very different: some countries, such as Poland, Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, block or strictly limit the issuance of visas to the Russians, except in special cases; While others, including Hungary, France, Spain and Italy, continue to give them visas more liberally.

According to the European Commission, the future pan -European strategy, which is planned to be published in December, will not set mandatory rules, but rather provide general recommendations, including more rigid criteria for Russians entering the EU countries.

According to Brussels, the plan will partially “focus on new challenges, especially those related to security risks.”

The governing principles that are still discussed are separated from any potential prohibition on the issuance of visas, which is regarded as part of the next EU sanctions package against Russia.

Some representatives of Russian civil society warn the EU against the use of tourist visas as weapons against Moscow. Yulia Navalna, a key figure of Russian opposition in exile and the widow of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, this week expressed its concern after the media reported that the EU was considering the possibility of ban on the entry of Russian tourists within the 19th package of sanctions, which should be made public later.

In a letter to the head of the EU Foreign Ministry, Callas Navalny called on Brussels “to make a clear distinction between the responsibility of the regime and ordinary Russians.” She proposed to aim such restrictions on “oligarchs, security forces, propagandists and other accomplices of the regime.”

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has long been proposing to ban Russian diplomats to travel outside the country where they work.

What was before:

• Increasing visa restrictions for Russian tourists is promoting the German government.
• The EU Callas Chief Diplomat said that the 19th European Union sanctions package against Russia may include restrictions on Russian energy, financial services, and secondary sanctions.