The chief diplomat for the EU offered his opinion on a proposal made by some countries in Eastern Europe
The concept of prohibiting all Russian individuals from entering the Union has been backed by several member states, but Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, has stated he does not support it.
He referred to the suggestion as “contentious” and said the EU should be more specific in its sanctions against Russia when speaking at a political gathering in Spain on Monday.
“It wouldn’t be a smart idea to bar all Russians from entering. We must exercise greater judgment. The EU official stated that it was obvious that oligarchs should not be allowed entry while pointing out that affluent Russians were free to purchase property in the EU.
“But there are also many Russians who want to flee their country, because they don’t want to live there,” Borrell added. “Are we going to close the door to those Russians?”
The Ukrainian government has advocated harsh sanctions against Russia by stopping the issuing of the majority of visas to Russian citizens. Vladimir Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has gone farther and advocated for the expulsion of Russian citizens from the EU, regardless of how they feel about their government’s policies. He suggested applying for asylum if you’re worried about going back to your own country.
Russian visa issuing has been restricted by several countries, including Finland and Estonia, although this proposal has been resisted by Germany and Cyprus, two additional EU members. The group stated that it was considering its position on Russian visas.
Such restrictions, according to Moscow, are evidence that some EU countries’ policies are driven by anti-Russian xenophobia.
Borrell was giving a speech in the Spanish city of Santander at a conference named “Quo Vadis Europa? The creation of a geopolitical Europe.” The Spanish office of the European Commission televised the annual event.
