German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that it is "difficult for him to accept" the idea of canceling the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens.
This is reported by Bild.
In response to journalistsʼ questions about another restriction of the Russian Federation for aggression against Ukraine, the chancellor said that "this is Putinʼs war, and therefore it is difficult for me to accept this idea." He added that the European Union has already adopted many sanctions against specific representatives of the Kremlin and those close to them who are responsible for the war.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that the initiative to limit the opportunity for Russian citizens to visit Europe is gaining momentum in the EU, "European Pravda" reports.
According to him, Ukraine will insist on such restrictions and does not accept arguments about oppression of Russians who do not support the war. Kuleba noted that for those who are persecuted, there is always the possibility of political asylum, and tourists "wearing USSR T-shirts and with the letters Z should not hang around on foreign beaches."
- In August, Latvia stopped issuing visas to Russians. The government of the Czech Republic also decided not to issue visas and temporary residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus until the end of March 2023.
- On August 9, Estonia and Finland proposed to the EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians. In Latvia, they want to not extend previously issued residence permits.