Published: Just now
After pressure from several countries to stop visas for Russian citizens, the EU’s foreign ministers are expected to freeze the visa agreement with Russia next week. This is reported by the Financial Times with reference to three different sources.
Parts of the agreement from 2007 stopped being applied already in February, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new measures will make it more expensive, more complicated and more time-consuming for Russian citizens to obtain visas because they are required on more documents.
– It is not appropriate for Russian tourists to stroll in our cities, in our guest ports. We need to send a signal to the Russian population that this war is not okay, it is not acceptable, a source told the newspaper.
Some EU countries, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, have already stopped issuing visas to Russians, and have called for the entire EU to do the same. From September, Finland will sharply reduce the number of visas granted.
Others, such as Germany, have refrained from a total visa freeze.