The one addressed by Estonia and Latvia to Russian citizens fleeing from enlistment to fight in Ukraine is a sharp no: “The refusal to fulfill one’s civic duty in Russia or the desire not to do so are not sufficient reasons for obtaining asylum in another country, ”Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told Reuters. The military mobilization announced by Russia has made fear all those who could be included in the 300,000 reservists that the Kremlin will send to the front.
Even the Latvian Foreign Minister Rinkevics gave his reasons: “it is not right to consider them conscious objectors. There are significant security risks in admitting them and there are many countries outside the EU to go to ”. The Lithuanian Interior Ministry said each case will be assessed individually.
The Baltic countries and Poland blocked the issuance of visas for Russian tourists three days ago. Meanwhile, across the border, car queues for kilometers are blocked by border guards. “In Buratiya, male college students are picked up directly from the classrooms. Some schools have been closed and turned into recruiting offices ”- reports the journalist Ilya Lozovsky -“ The men are rounded up and recruited from small villages ”. On social media there are videos of farewells and conscript protests.
The Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallasdi, the host, does not want to know: “Every citizen is responsible for the actions of his own state and Russian citizens are no exception. Therefore, we do not give asylum to Russian men fleeing their country. They should oppose the war ”.
“I think the only way I can personally help Ukraine right now is not to fight there,” a 26-year-old Russian computer scientist told The Guardian. Faced with the harsh repression that already dissuaded the Russians from taking to the streets, and with the risk of having to leave for the front, many saw exile as the only way out, despite not responding to the call to arms is a crime that is punished with imprisonment.
There have been calls for an opening of the borders to Russians who refuse to go to war. “It may be time to rethink the issue of visas for Russians … Helping men who want to flee not to be mobilized would be a good humanitarian and military decision,” said French diplomat Gérard Araud. But more moderate tones are heard from the European Commission: “we are in an unprecedented situation, with risks to be taken into consideration on the geopolitical and security context” according to the statements of spokeswoman Anitta Hipper.
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