EU member states must cancel tourist visas issued to citizens of the Russian Federation. This opinion was expressed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
“Now it is necessary to say a firm “no” to tourists from Russia and Belarus. At the same time, continue to accept those who need humanitarian assistance, asylum, and not holidays in Europe,” the minister explained.
He also added that such a decision should be made at the level of the entire European Union and not let Russian vacationers in until the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine ends.
It should be noted that at the end of August the EU foreign ministers are to meet in Prague for an informal meeting. One of the possible topics of conversation is visa restrictions for citizens of the Russian Federation. However, according to insiders, Germany, France, and the countries of Southern Europe, where the economy largely depends on the Russian tourist flow, oppose the cancellation of the Schengen among the Russians.
It is worth noting that since August 18, Estonia has already banned the entry of Russian citizens into its territory on visas issued in the republic. And Finland, from September 1, will reduce the number of applications received from Russians for relevant documents.