Poland and the three Baltic countries are considering unilaterally banning or restricting the visas they grant to Russian nationals, if there is no agreement to do so at European level, they announced on Wednesday August 31. .
European foreign ministers, meeting Wednesday in Prague, are divided on the possibility of prohibiting or reducing access to the European Union to Russian tourists to punish them for the war in Ukraine, as claimed by kyiv.
In the absence of a consensus on restrictions on Schengen visas, which requires the unanimity of the Member States, the Twenty-Seven could agree on the total suspension of the agreement concluded in 2007 between the EU and Moscow and providing for facilities for issuing short-stay visas (a simplified and faster procedure).
"To reduce the flow of Russian citizens"
After the outbreak of the conflict, this agreement was partially suspended by the EU for certain Russian citizens linked to the regime (official delegations, holders of diplomatic passports, business leaders, etc.), but the others continued to benefit from it.
Without these facilities, the classic procedure for obtaining a Schengen visa, which is longer and more expensive, will apply.
In a joint statement consulted by AFP, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all bordering Russia, considered that the total suspension would mark "
a necessary first step
" but that it was necessary to "
drastically limit the number of visas issued , especially tourist visas, to reduce the flow of Russian citizens to the EU and the Schengen area
”.
“
Until such measures are in place at EU level, we ... will consider introducing temporary visa bans or entry restrictions at national level for Russian citizens. holders of an EU visa
”, they add, while defending exceptions “
for dissidents and other humanitarian cases
”.
A European agreement to "
ban Russian citizens from entering the EU
" could take time, while "
the timing is crucial and the waste of time is paid for in the blood of Ukrainians
", argued the Estonian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Urmas Reinsalu.
Read alsoEU countries consider limiting visas to Russian tourists
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Wednesday in Copenhagen that Russians should not receive any "
other than humanitarian
" visas.
The Czech Republic, the Baltic States and Poland have already tightened their visa regime to varying degrees (total stop or for tourists only), with exceptions.
A country through which many Russian tourists travel to Schengen Spain, Finland, which processes some 1,000 visa applications a day, has decided to reduce the number of visas issued to Russian tourists to 10% from the 1st september.