EU Split on Visa Bans for Russian Tourists, Kremlin Says Proposal Irrational

Germany and France have issued a joint warning against a ban on tourist visas for Russians, saying such a step, advocated by other European Union member states, would be counterproductive.

The split on tourist visas will be at the heart of a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Prague on Tuesday and Wednesday, as they discuss what further steps they can take to sanction Russia for its six-month-old invasion of Ukraine.

“We caution against far-reaching restrictions on our visa policy, in order to prevent feeding the Russian narrative and trigger unintended rallying-around-the-flag effects and/or estranging future generations,” France and Germany said in the joint memo seen by Reuters.

The Kremlin said the calls for a visa ban on Russian tourists were the latest example of the West’s anti-Russian agenda.

“Step by step, unfortunately, both Brussels and individual European capitals are demonstrating an absolute lack of reason,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

“These are very serious decisions that could be directed against our citizens, and of course such decisions cannot go unanswered,” he added.

“But in responding, we will do it in such a way that it best meets our interests and protects the interests of our citizens.”