Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania demand collective action from Brussels to overcome risks to public safety.
Eastern EU countries bordering Russia, have threatened to take “national measures” to reduce the number of Russians entering their territory and the Schengen area unless the entire EU agrees on a collective approach, reports the Financial Times.
The statement of the five member states came on the eve of the meeting of foreign ministers of the bloc to discuss the issue of limiting the issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation, which has sharply divided the 27 EU members.
In a joint statement seen by the Financial Times, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania demand that the European Commission propose “appropriate visa measures” that will “decisively reduce the flow of Russian citizens to the EU and the Schengen area”.
< p>“Until such measures are implemented at the EU level, we will consider the possibility of establishing temporary measures at the national level to address the inevitable public security issues associated with the increased flow of Russian citizens across our borders,” the statement said. .
The statement raises the stakes for the discussion on the issue, as Brussels seeks to preserve unity while continuing to punish Russia for its war against Ukraine.
“It is our national competence in accordance with the principle of national security to decide the issue of entry into our territory.” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told journalists.
About 700,000 Russians have entered these five countries since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. Most of them are tourists who use the border countries as gateways to travel on holiday to the western EU countries.
“We believe that this could become a serious threat to public safety,” the five said in a joint statement. countries, which also emphasizes the need to maintain “exceptions for dissidents, as well as for other humanitarian cases.” p>
Countries such as Germany and France oppose the ban on issuing visas to Russians and warn against “far-reaching restrictions on visa policy.” Instead, they called on the bloc to “thoroughly check visa applications submitted by citizens of the Russian Federation for potential security risks.” cannot afford to be divided.”
“We know that different member states have different positions. I will work for a single position, a joint position,” he said.
In the absence of consensus on the ban, EU foreign ministers will use a meeting in Prague to agree to suspend a 2007 visa facilitation agreement with Moscow, making it more difficult for Russians to obtain visas.
Five EU countries said , that such a suspension is a “necessary first step” but will not prevent them from seeking more stringent measures to reduce the number of Russians entering their territory.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevičs said his country would wait for the outcome of the meeting to “see how to act”.
Also read: Germany, France offer media literacy courses for Russians instead of visa ban
< p>Russia has condemned calls for a visa ban as “absolutely baseless”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposed measures are “a set of irrational ideas bordering on madness”.
Related video < p>Whether a relevant decision will actually be adopted is highly doubtful, becausethere is no unanimity among the countries of the European Union on this issue.
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