Estonia has called on the EU to impose mandatory visa restrictions on Russian citizens.

Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro stated that issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens during the war against Ukraine is immoral and called on the European Union to make the corresponding restrictions mandatory for all member states.

The press service of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported this, ERR reports.

Taro made this statement at a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Dublin. He said this issue concerns not only security but also European values.

“While Ukrainians are dying under Russian missile strikes, citizens of the aggressor state cannot be allowed to vacation and shop in Europe as if nothing had happened,” he emphasized.

The Minister noted that current recommendations for issuing visas to Russians have not produced the expected results, so the restrictions should become mandatory for all EU and Schengen area countries.

Taro also proposed introducing a more flexible restriction mechanism that would apply to certain categories of Russian citizens, including diplomats, service passport holders, current and former participants in the war against Ukraine, and religious figures who support Russian aggression. Furthermore, restrictions could depend on the purpose of travel.

According to the minister, after the war ends, many Russian military personnel could pose a threat to European security by joining organized crime or extremist groups.

Estonia also proposed adding Russian war veterans to the Schengen list of persons banned from entry. The initiative was supported by Latvia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, and positively assessed by Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Germany.

In addition to visa restrictions, Taro called for stricter rules for granting residence permits in EU countries to individuals who may pose a security threat.

As a reminder, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated that she would propose that EU countries impose new sanctions against Russia following the massive attack on Kyiv on the night of July 2.

As previously reported, the European Union has extended economic sanctions against Russia for another year. They will remain in effect until at least July 31, 2027.

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