Nearly one million Russian citizens have entered the EU since the war in Ukraine began. Between 16 and 22 August, the number fell slightly compared to the previous week, the EU border security service Frontex reported on Thursday. More and more EU countries are currently limiting the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians themselves.
Since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 998,085 Russian citizens have entered the European Union (as of August 22). This information has to be seen against the background of the tightened entry rules for people from Russia in many EU countries. As reported, these include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
Finland wants to follow from September, Poland has stopped issuing tourist visas for some time and is considering a general stop. Denmark is pushing for an EU solution and will otherwise act alone.
Program for opposition members in the Czech Republic
What the EU countries have in common is that they make exceptions, for example for Russians who live in the country concerned or have relatives. “In the Czech Republic, for example, we have a special program for opposition members, specifically helping Russians who oppose or are persecuted by the Russian regime,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in an interview with the Russian regime. “Busy”. However, the average citizen would not travel to the EU at all, only the elite from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far been very active in protecting this social class from the war in Ukraine. “They don’t feel that this war has any impact on them. If we want to seriously stop Russia in Ukraine, we have to do something here,” Lipavsky said. However, at the informal Council of Foreign Ministers in Prague next week, he expects no agreement between the 27 EU countries.
EPP boss wants EU entry ban
The president of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, expressed a similar view on Thursday in the ARD “Mittagsmagazin”. He can hardly imagine that Ukrainian refugees would have to wait on tables for Russian holidaymakers in Sylt or on the Baltic Sea. The normal Russian population should feel the consequences of the sanctions. However, Weber’s demand does not apply to people who want to flee Russia: “If civil society wants to leave, if people who can no longer stand it under the Putin system want to apply for asylum, Europe must be open.”
Rejection comes from, among others, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When they travel to the EU, Russians have a chance to find out what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine, sources in Austria said.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
