Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Landsbergis said that his country will not grant asylum to Russians fleeing mobilization.
He wrote on his Twitter that Russians must fight against Putinʼs dictatorship and Lithuania will not accept those who run away from responsibility.
Prior to that, Prime Minister Ingrid Šimonite said that rescuing Russians from mobilization is not the responsibility of Lithuania and other states.
"The war started in 2014 and this invasion started on February 24. Still, people had plenty of time to make up their minds about the war. I would not understand if we let people in for humanitarian reasons just because for them the war was normal while they saw it on TV, sitting on the couch, and then it became abnormal when the government and the Shoigu called in the army and offered to physically take in participation in this," she said.
- On September 12, the EU Councilʼs decision to suspend the simplified visa regime with Russia, which had been in effect since 2007, entered into force. The process of obtaining visas to EU countries for Russians has become much longer and more expensive. The same decisions were made by Switzerland and Norway. Itʼs Finland ʼs turn, which is already preparing a complete ban on entry for Russians.
- Since September 19, Russian citizens are prohibited from entering Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland with tourist Schengen visas issued in any EU country. For now, they can cross the land border with the EU only in Finland.
- After Putin announced partial mobilization, many Russians began to flee the country. Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic have already declared that they will not issue humanitarian visas to Russians fleeing mobilization. Kazakhstan also declared that it would not grant them shelter.
- On September 23, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that Europe should allow the entry of Russian citizens who want to leave the country and not follow Putinʼs criminal orders.