Russia will retaliate if the European Union (EU) decides to suspend visas for Russian citizens in response to Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine, the Kremlin warned on Tuesday, accusing Europeans of “almost madness” irrationality.
Moscow’s warning comes as some countries want to ban Russian tourists from entering Europe, while others prefer a more symbolic measure, such as the suspension of an agreement that makes granting visas to certain categories of Russian nationals somewhat easier.
“We know that there are different points of view among Europeans, we will monitor this closely. It is a very serious decision that can be taken against our citizens and such a decision cannot go unanswered,” warned the Kremlin spokesman (Russian Presidency), Dmitry Peskov, at his daily press conference.
“To respond, we need to make sure we serve our interests and protect the interests of our citizens. We still don’t know what measures Europeans will take,” he added.
A possible suspension of the visa facilitation agreement for Russian tourists will be at the center of discussions of EU-27 foreign ministers, who will meet in Prague in an informal format on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Little by little, Brussels and the European capitals show a total lack of judgment (…). This irrationality, bordering on madness, makes it possible to debate such measures (on visas),” said the Kremlin spokesman. .
European countries have already imposed several economic sanctions on Russia to punish Moscow for its military offensive against Ukraine, which began on February 24.
On visas, a blanket ban seems unlikely, in the absence of consensus on this measure demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This ban on visas issued to Russian tourists for the Schengen area (European area of free movement), which would be an unprecedented measure, is particularly demanded by the Baltic States, but Germany is against it and the European Commission is not in favor .
The 26 countries of the Schengen area (22 EU states plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein) received three million applications for short-stay visas of all categories (tourism, studies, business travel) in 2021, with Russian citizens leading the way, with 536,000 applications.
Source: El heraldo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
