Moscow’s warning comes at a time when some countries want to prevent Russian tourists from entering Europe, while others prefer a more symbolic measure, such as suspending an agreement providing for some ease in granting visas to certain categories of Russian citizens.
We know that there are different views among Europeans, and we will follow that closely. Kremlin spokesman (Russian presidency) Dmitry Peskov warned at his daily press conference that a very dangerous decision could be taken against our compatriots, and this decision could not go unanswered.
To respond, we must make sure that we serve our best interests and protect the interests of our citizens. We still don’t know what actions the Europeans will take.”
The possible suspension of the visa facilitation agreement for Russian tourists will be at the center of discussions of the 27 EU foreign ministers, who will meet today and Wednesday, in an informal format, in Prague.
“Little by little, Brussels and European capitals are showing a complete lack of governance (…). The Kremlin spokesman declared that this irrationality, close to madness, allows discussion of such measures (on visas).
European countries have already imposed several economic sanctions on Russia to punish Moscow for its military offensive against Ukraine, which began on February 24.
As far as visas are concerned, a blanket ban seems unlikely, given the lack of consensus on this measure demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This ban on visas issued to Russian tourists in the Schengen area (the European area of freedom of movement), which would be an unprecedented measure, was particularly demanded by the Baltic states, but Germany opposes this, and the European Commission is not. Favor.
26 Schengen countries (22 EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein) received in 2021 three million applications for short-stay visas of all categories (tourism, studies and business travel), with Russian citizens taking the lead, with 536,000 Request.
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