The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency, wants to propose a travel ban for all Russians to the EU member states. “The blanket freeze on Russian visas by all EU member states might be another very effective sanction,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told AFP today. He will present this proposal to EU foreign ministers at an informal meeting in Prague at the end of August.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a travel ban. Regardless of their political affiliation, Russians should “live in their own world until they change their philosophy,” Zelenskyi told the newspaper. The Kremlin criticized the demand as completely excessive.
The Czech Republic no longer issues visas to Russians
The Czech Republic has not issued visas to Russian citizens since the first day following Russia invaded Ukraine. However, Russian tourists can still enter Europe via Finland. However, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto presented a plan to limit tourist visas for Russians last week.
The Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, also recently called on Brussels to stop Russians from entering the EU. “Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right,” she said on Twitter on Tuesday.