EU ministers specify Russians they want prohibited from bloc
(MENAFN) Interior ministers from several Baltic and Nordic countries have called for a ban on all Russians with current or past military affiliations from entering the Schengen Area, citing concerns that these individuals could pose a “criminal threat” to the European Union, even after the Ukraine conflict ends.
The joint proposal came after a meeting in Tallinn on Thursday involving ministers from Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Finland. Except for Sweden, all these countries have already largely closed their borders to Russian citizens.
In a statement shared by the Estonian Interior Ministry, the officials warned that security threats originating from Russia will persist beyond the military operation in Ukraine. They highlighted that hundreds of thousands of Russians with combat experience might potentially join organized crime groups within Europe.
The ministers urged EU member states to take stringent measures to stop Russian military personnel from freely moving within the Schengen Area and called for a complete ban on issuing residence permits and visas to such individuals.
They also emphasized the importance of enhancing drone detection and countermeasures along the eastern EU borders to defend against threats from hostile states and criminal networks.
Last month, Latvian officials urged the EU to halt Schengen visa issuance to Russian nationals, framing the situation as a “hybrid war” and warning that Russian tourists could threaten the bloc’s internal security.
Several Eastern European governments have recently implemented strict policies targeting Russians and Russian speakers, citing ongoing military threats even after the Ukraine conflict’s conclusion.
Russia has strongly criticized these moves, accusing Western countries, especially the Baltic states, of fearmongering to justify military build-ups and discriminatory actions against Russians. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, called the EU’s anti-Russian stance an “expensive obsession” that has hurt both the bloc’s economy and its citizens.
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