11 European countries have called on the EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians
Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, as well as Norway and Iceland have appealed to the European Commission to tighten visa restrictions for Russian citizens and effectively block the issuance of Schengen tourist visas.
In a joint letter, the foreign and interior ministers of these countries emphasized that Russian vacations at European resorts are unacceptable against the backdrop of the war against Ukraine, mass attacks on the civilian population, and the deportation of Ukrainian children.
The authors of the document are particularly concerned about the increase in the number of Schengen visas issued to Russians. According to the “Schengen Barometer,” in 2025, Russian citizens received nearly 478,000 tourist visas, a significant portion of which allow for multiple entries.
The letter notes that Russians are increasingly circumventing restrictions by applying for visas in Western and Southern European countries. France, Italy, Spain, and Greece currently issue the most tourist visas to Russian citizens, while Poland and the Baltic states have virtually ceased this practice.
The signatory countries also proposed creating an EU-level mechanism for the rapid imposition of visa sanctions against states that pose a threat to the bloc’s security. Separately, they called for the development of tools to identify former and current Russian military personnel and ban their entry into the Schengen Area.
Source: RMF FM.
Ukraine has introduced a new package of sanctions against Russian commanders who directed missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, as well as against ships providing military logistics to Russia.
Ukraine rejected the idea of “associated” EU membership without voting rights, which had been discussed in European political circles. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that such a format is unfair and does not correspond to Ukraine’s role in European security.
