New sanctions against Russia have begun to be discussed in the EU. The Baltic countries demand the abolition of visas and new energy restrictions

New sanctions against Russia have begun to be discussed in the European Union. The most important issue is the prohibition of issuing visas for Russians.

Reuters writes about it.

The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency, is pushing for a complete ban on visas for Russian tourists, an idea supported mostly by the Baltic states. At the same time, other states, in particular Germany, Austria and the southern countries, oppose this. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell did not publicly support such a decision either.

Therefore, the European Union is still considering the cancellation of the simplified visa regime with Russia as a compromise option. This will increase the cost of visas and their processing time.

The EU will also discuss options for creating a military training mission for Ukrainian forces. Several EU countries have been training Ukrainian troops for some time. There is currently no information on where the EU curriculum may be based and what the mandate may be

At the same time, the Baltic countries are demanding greater strengthening of sanctions against Russia. They have already submitted their proposals to the EU, which include more restrictions on trade and energy, expanding the list of Russian banks to be cut off from SWIFT, and expanding personal sanctions.

"Sanctions are still working, but they are not enough. We need to raise the price on Russia even more before winter comes so that this war can end sooner. We also need to supply more weapons to Ukraine," said Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu.

• Poland has not been issuing tourist visas to citizens of the Russian Federation for several months. In August , Latvia stopped issuing visas to Russians. The Czech Republic does not issue visas and temporary residence permits to Russians until the end of March 2023. On August 11, Estonia closed the border for Russians.
• But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes the idea of banning the issuance of tourist Schengen visas to Russians, because it will make it more difficult for those who disagree with Putinʼs regime to leave the country.