- WIADOMOŚCI
Russians won't enter the European Union? Visas suspension proposal
Estonia will support the Finnish proposal to suspend tourist visas for Russian citizens in the European Union, the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, has confirmed.
“Visa policy must reflect the gravity of Russia’s ongoing aggression. The EU should continue strengthening pressure on the Kremlin by all available means. We also call on the EU to swiftly adopt the necessary implementing acts to establish a comprehensive entry ban for Russian combatants,” Margus Tsahkna wrote on the X platform.
Estonia joins Finland’s call to suspend tourist visas for Russian citizens across the European Union. As Russia continues its relentless assault on Ukraine, bombing cities, destroying civilian infrastructure, and killing innocent people, it is unacceptable that Russian citizens can still enjoy unrestricted leisure travel within the Schengen area. Visa policy must reflect the gravity of Russia’s ongoing aggression. The EU should continue to strengthen pressure on the Kremlin through all available means. We also urge the EU to swiftly adopt the necessary implementing acts to establish a comprehensive entry ban on Russian combatants.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) October 13, 2026
The Estonian minister’s post refers to an appeal published several hours earlier by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen. Finland’s top diplomat announced that member states had been invited to join a letter addressed to the European Commission. “Issuing visas to Russians for non-essential travel was already banned in Finland in 2022. The same must finally happen at the EU level,” she wrote, adding that it is also necessary to introduce an entry ban to the Schengen Area for individuals directly linked to Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Further proposals
The appeal by the Foreign Ministers of Finland and Estonia aligns with an idea put forward in early September by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski. During a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries, the head of Polish diplomacy stated that a significant reduction in the number of Russian diplomats in Europe is necessary. “Russia has far too many diplomats in the European Union. We estimate there are over 2,000 of them, and we calculate that at least 40 per cent are performing tasks inconsistent with their diplomatic status,” Sikorski said. These are not the only initiatives to emerge recently. Previously, the head of Polish diplomacy had proposed, among other things, the introduction of biometric passports for Russian diplomats and a ban on them leaving their country of accreditation.
Visa numbers on the rise
According to European Commission data obtained by PAP (Polish Press Agency), the number of visas issued to Russian citizens by Schengen Area member states is increasing. In 2025, they issued approximately 623,000 such visas, up 10 per cent from the previous year. The majority — 478,000 — were tourist visas. France, Italy, and Spain issued the highest number of visas to Russian citizens.
