No common decision emerged within the European Union over possible visa restrictions targeting Russian citizens. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence, said in an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau that member states had failed to reach an agreement on the issue.
Strack-Zimmermann also expressed dissatisfaction that the German government had still not banned Russian citizens from entering the country.
Brussels’ proposal for visa restrictions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed at the beginning of June banning everyone who had served in the Russian army since 2022 from entering the European Union.
European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert announced at the end of June that “targeted visa restriction measures” would be prepared for Russian citizens.
Moscow denounces discrimination
Grigori Lukyantsev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Multilateral Human Rights Cooperation, said in a statement on July 9 that a possible European Union visa ban targeting Russian army veterans would amount to discrimination.