European leaders remain deeply divided over whether to halt all visa issuances for Russian citizens, with no consensus emerging on this measure. The chairman of the European Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, stated this on August 23 in an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau.
“Europe is politically divided on the issue of a general ban on entry for Russian citizens,” Strack-Zimmerman said. “France, Italy and Spain are skeptical about a general tightening, while the Scandinavian and Baltic states, as well as the Netherlands, insist on stricter measures and, above all, a common EU solution.”
The politician expressed disappointment with Germany’s stance, noting that Berlin has not yet imposed a national ban on Russian citizens. On August 17, the European Commission announced that Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden will cease recognizing Russian non-biometric passports effective October 1. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, this move will bring the total number of European countries that do not recognize such passports to 15.
