EU under pressure to ban Russian tourists from Europe

The EU has been urged to introduce a travel ban for Russian tourists, with some member states saying visiting Europe is 'a privilege, not a human right' for vacationers.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with the Washington Post that the "most important sanction" was to "close the borders, because the Russians are taking land from someone else". Russians should "live in their own world until they change their philosophy," he said.

Ukrainian president's appeal was supported by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who tweeted that his visit to Europe was "a privilege, not a human right", adding: "It's time to end tourism from Russia. Stop issuing tourist visas to Russians.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin expressed the same frustrations, telling public broadcaster YLE that it was "not right for Russia to go to war of aggressive and brutal aggression in Europe, Russians can lead a normal life, travel to Europe, be tourists. ”

Finland has previously said that increasing numbers of people crossing the 830-mile border between the two countries to shop at border stores and travel to other EU destinations since Covid restrictions were lifted.

The EU banned air travel from Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February and the last passenger rail link, between St. Petersburg and Helsinki, were suspended in March, but Russians can still enter Finland by road.

Finland the week latest released a plan to limit tourist visas for Russians, but questioned its legal right to impose a ban, while other countries in the Schengen passport-free zone that share a border with Russia, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, have already tightened the rules considerably era of visas.

But all stressed the need for a decision at EU level on the matter since a visa issued by a member of the zone cannot be denied by others – meaning ordinary Russians not targeted by individual sanctions can use their neighboring countries as transit areas for borderless travel. continue to travel to the region.

Bulgaria's acting tourism minister Ilin Dimitrov said on Wednesday that more than 50,000 Russians – mostly property owners and apartments, and often passing through Istanbul – had visited the country at the end of June. "Obstacles and expensive tickets don't stop them," he said.

EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the issue during their meeting in the Czech Republic at the end of August. . "At the next meetings of the European Council, this issue will come up even more strongly," Marin said. "My personal position is that tourism should be restricted."

Other countries, however, are not so sure. Some with traditionally close ties to Russia, such as Hungary, would be likely to strongly oppose a ban, while member states with large Russian communities such as Germany argue the move would divide families and penalize opponents. to war who have already left. /p>

The European Commission has also questioned the feasibility of a blanket travel ban, saying certain categories of travelers - including family members, journalists and dissidents - should obtain visas under all circumstances.< /p>

Calls by Ukraine and some member states for the EU to impose the blanket ban have prompted a backlash from wrath of the Kremlin. "Any attempt to isolate Russia or the Russians is a process without prospects," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, adding that he showed an "irrationality of thought" that was "out of the ordinary."