The Council of the EU refused to accept passports of Russians issued in the occupied regions of Russia, as well as in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as to issue Schengen visas based on them. The European Parliament took a similar position. This was stated in the official press release of the European Union.
According to the statement, travel documents issued in the territories occupied by Russia, as well as in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, will not be recognized as valid for obtaining a Schengen visa.
In addition, Russian travel documents issued in the above regions will also not be accepted as valid for crossing the borders of the Schengen area. It was clarified that the decision is aimed at establishing a unified approach and ensuring the proper functioning of the external border and the bloc’s general visa policy.
The decision of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament still needs to be approved before the official adoption procedure.