European Union countries are expected to support, in the coming days, the suspension of the bloc’s visa facilitation agreement with Moscow. In practice, if the measure is actually implemented, Russian tourists will have to wait longer and pay larger amounts for a European visa. Meanwhile, at the front, Brussels is seeking to intensify the training of Ukrainian soldiers. The information is from the British newspaper Financial Times.
The suspension of visas is advocated by the Nordic and Baltic countries, in addition to Poland. But initially the bloc’s main economies had resisted the pressures. Millions of Russians travel to Europe each year, mostly in the summer. Josep Borrell, head of EU diplomacy, told the Financial Times that he opposes the ban and that the bloc needs to “be more selective”.
According to broadcaster RFI, Germany and Portugal consider the ban also harmful to Russians who opt for these visas to flee the country. In addition, most tourists from Russia who travel to Europe each year are upper-middle class, the section of the population that is most opposed to the Kremlin – currently, 83% of Russians support President Vladimir Putin, according to the Levada Center, one of the leading research institutes in the country.
Regardless of Brussels’ decision, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland and the Baltic countries have already said they will suspend visas for Russian tourists, echoing statements by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Last week, the Ukrainian leader called on Western countries to close their borders to Russians. “They should live in their own world until they change their philosophy,” he said in an interview with the Washington Post.
With air travel between the EU and Russia suspended, many Russian tourists enter the continent via the Nordic and Baltic countries. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said last week that 30% of Russians traveling to the EU pass through its airports. Finland, meanwhile, has already imposed drastic restrictions on tourist visas, reducing those issued to about 10% of the current number.
The matter will be discussed, according to the British newspaper, as of Tuesday (30), when the foreign ministers of the bloc’s countries will meet in Prague. The day before, the heads of the Defense portfolios will talk about potential trainings for Ukrainian soldiers organized by Brussels.
On Thursday, the Kremlin, in turn, announced the expansion of its military force, increasing it from 1.01 million to 1.15 million (an increase of 10%). Altogether, including personnel not involved in military operations, the Ministry of Defense would increase from 1.9 million to 2.04 million servers.
The proposal, however, at least officially, did not scare Kiev’s allies. On Sunday (28), the UK Ministry of Defense declared that the “measure would not have a great impact on the war, given that Russia has lost tens of thousands of soldiers in Ukraine”. Russia stopped releasing data in March, when it admitted 1,350 dead.
Still on the front lines of the war, Russian missiles hit an aircraft engine factory in Ukraine’s Zaporyjia region on Sunday – which is also home to Europe’s largest nuclear plant, which officials say could be the scene of a radioactive accident. There are no reports of injuries at the scene.
The situation at the plant, in fact, was the main argument for Moscow to veto a joint declaration on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The latest draft of the document expressed “grave concern” about military activities around Ukrainian power stations, as well as Kiev’s loss of control over these sites and the negative impact on security – the passage, of course, did not please the Kremlin.
On Sunday, the United States criticized the Russian veto. “Despite Russia’s cynical resistance, the fact that all other parties supported the outcome document demonstrates the treaty’s essential role in preventing nuclear proliferation,” said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel.
