Latvia may refuse to issue tourist visas to all Russian citizens as part of the sanctions package against the Russian Federation. This was stated by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas Rihards Kols.
In his opinion, due to the situation around Ukraine, not only Russian politicians who support the independence of the DPR and LPR, but also the entire local population, should be subject to restrictive measures.
“As a Member of Parliament, I call for the suspension of the issuance of new tourist visas. It must be understood that at least 70% of the inhabitants of Russia support the current policy of the Kremlin. Russian society believes that NATO is an aggressor. If this is the position of the majority of the country’s population, then the Russians have no reason to go to aggressive, in their opinion, states, ”the politician explained.
However, for such a decision to be made, the support of other member states of the European Union is needed. For everyone, such a step will be a serious test, however, according to Richards Kols, this is a forced measure and it should be implemented in the near future.
In turn, the head of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, Vita Anda Terauda, replied that these “draconian” restrictions should be worked out in detail before the issue is brought up for discussion.
“The proposal is definitely worth considering in terms of proportionality. If the sanction affects all citizens of Russia, it will be too harsh a measure. There are people who have nothing to do with the situation in Ukraine and who condemn the actions of their government,” added the head of the commission.
There are many figures in the political circles of Latvia who call for following the diplomatic path in the settlement of international relations with Russia. They believe that economic or social sanctions will not have a significant impact on the Kremlin, unlike the European Union.