The Ukrainian President is calling for a travel ban for all Russians. Estonia is moving forward with new rules and is hoping for more supporters. But Chancellor Scholz is pressing the brakes.
Against the background of the Russian war against Ukraine, Estonia is tightening visa regulations for people from Russia and restricting their entry. The government in Tallinn decided that from August 18, Russian citizens will no longer be allowed to enter the country with a Schengen visa issued by Estonia. At the same time, there are some exceptions.
At the same time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) spoke out against a complete ban on tourist visas for Russians, as demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We see that the number of Russian citizens traveling through Estonia or coming to Estonia from Russia has increased massively,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu. The possibility of visiting Estonia en masse or crossing the country to Europe does not correspond to the purpose of the imposed sanctions.
In response to Russia’s war of aggression, Estonia had suspended issuing visas and residence permits to Russians. With a valid visa, however, it was still possible to enter the Schengen area via the Estonian border by bus or car. This should no longer be possible in the future. However, certain exceptions still apply.
Reinsalu announced that Estonia will submit a proposal to the EU states in August to suspend the issuance of Schengen visas for Russian citizens. Finland had also recently campaigned for this. Latvia also called on other European countries on Thursday to stop issuing entry and tourist visas to Russians.
Scholz against visa ban: “This is Putin’s war”
Chancellor Scholz has now rejected a general ban on tourist visas. “This is Putin’s war, and that’s why I have a hard time with this thought,” he said in Berlin. Scholz referred to the “very far-reaching sanctions” against Russia because of the war against Ukraine. According to Scholz, it would weaken the effectiveness of the sanctions “if they were directed against everyone, including the innocent”.
A spokeswoman for the EU Commission also emphasized on Thursday that a general ban on tourist visas is not possible under current law. Each application must be examined individually, she said. However, the EU Commission sent guidelines to the member states in May. Thereafter, applications can be rejected after individual examination. The reason could be that a person is a danger to public order, internal security or international relations. As a result, Estonia cannot simply withdraw all visas already issued to Russians. Instead, each individual case must be examined.
The spokeswoman for the EU Commission also pointed out that the EU states should not violate international law. Some people are entitled to a visa for humanitarian reasons, for example, or because they are family members, journalists or dissidents.
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
