Since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s demand that Russians be denied travel within Europe’s borders earlier this month, the Baltic States, Finland, and Denmark have thrown their weight behind the leader.
To show their commitment to the Ukrainian resistance, they have implemented either full bans of or limitations on visas for citizens of the Russian Federation. Yet two weeks after Zelensky’s initial proposal, other countries such as Cyprus, Greece and Germany remain less than persuaded to block Russian citizens’ access to the Schengen free movement area.
Zelensky’s movement, for lack of a better word, is gaining momentum. Starting on August 18th, Estonia officially banned Russians from entering the country with Schengen visas it had issued itself. During the past week, the foreign ministers of Latvia and Lithuania tightened travel restrictions, Denmark took similar actions, while Finland decided eventually to cut the number of tourist visas issued to Russians by 90%.
Thus far, these EU/Schengen Area countries—along with Norway, Poland, and Czechia—now call unanimously for an official, EU-wide entry ban on Russian tourists. The issue is set to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague on August 31st. Czechia, which currently holds the revolving Presidency of the Council of the European Union, put the issue on the agenda.
Although an informal meeting, it could lay the groundwork for what will be decided on by EU leaders at their next summit, planned for October.
Thus far, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is the most prominent political figure to outright reject such an indiscriminate penalty, which he considers to be unfair to the Russian people; it is “not their war,” but that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said during a recent press conference in Oslo.
Zelensky’s ambition for a Europe devoid of Russians, in what he considers fit punishment for Russian citizens over its government’s actions, is thus meeting opposition.
For while Russians, in Zelensky’s words, being forced to “live in their own world until they change their philosophy,” might first appear reasonable, proof points more to it being counterproductive, while stirring up resentment.
In an op-ed piece for Al Jazeera Maximilian Hess, a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, stated that such an “illiberal” move would “eradicate our values.” The present debate, he went on to summarize, is being “driven by emotional responses rather than reasonable policy.”
An article by Deutsche Welle illustrates the odd situations that spring from the current state of affairs. According to the publication, since the start of Russia’s invasion up to 50,000 Russians—including critics of Putin’s regime, seeking more hospitable climes—have been flocking to Serbia, a country with which Russia has friendly relations. Tens of thousands of Russians have since opened accounts there, while over 1,000 companies whose owners possess Russian passports have registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.
“I chose Serbia because it is one of the few countries where Russian passport holders are still allowed to enter without a visa. Apart from that, of course, it’s quite schizophrenic that, as an opponent of Putin, I ended up in a country where there are many people who support the regime in Russia,” Katya Khazina, a former Moscow resident, told the publication.
