The Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, considers that this ban “could be another very effective sanction against Russia”.
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A new track of sanction against Russia which is debating. The European Union will discuss the possibility of banning the issuance of visas to all Russian citizens at the end of August, said the head of Czech diplomacy Jan Lipavsky, whose country chairs the Council of the EU, Friday August 12.
“The total ban on Russian visas by all EU member states could be another very effective sanction against Russia”pleaded Jan Lipavsky, who will sound out his counterparts during an informal meeting at the end of August in Prague. “In this period of Russian aggression, which the Kremlin continues to intensify, there can be no question of tourism as usual for Russian citizens”asserted the Minister.
The measure was strongly demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who believes that “Russians have to live in their own world as long as they don’t change their philosophy”. He already has the support of Estonia: the Baltic country announced that it would ban the entry into its territory of all Russian citizens with an Estonian visa on Thursday 11 August. Finland also announced that it wanted to restrict tourist visas, and called for a decision at European level. The Czech Republic stopped issuing visas to Russians on February 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine.
But for a common decision, it will first be necessary to convince the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who is behind the proposal for sanctions, and to obtain the unanimity of the Twenty-Seven. The European Commission insists on the need to protect dissidents, journalists and families, whom a total visa ban would penalize.