France and Italy have spoken out against a ban on entry into Europe for those who have participated in the war against Ukraine
France and Italy have expressed reservations about the European Union’s proposal to impose a ban on entry into EU countries for former Russian military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine.
According to the agency, this initiative is part of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which EU member states plan to discuss in the near future.
Sources indicate that Paris and Rome do not object to restrictions on former Russian military personnel, but fear that such a measure could serve as a pretext for a broader entry ban on all Russian citizens.
In addition, both countries believe that such restrictions would be better implemented through visa policy rather than within the sanctions framework. They also point out the difficulty of determining exactly who participated in combat operations.
According to Bloomberg, other contentious issues in the new sanctions package include revising the price cap on Russian oil, possible restrictions on the transport of Russian LNG, and imports of certain types of Russian fish.
Source: Bloomberg.
As a reminder, at the summit in Brussels on June 18, the European Union decided for the first time to extend sanctions against Russia not for the standard six months, but for a full year. In doing so, the EU is departing from its previous practice of regularly reviewing sanctions every six months.
The EU Council is expected to formally approve the new sanctions package in the coming weeks, according to Deutsche Welle.
