The European Union is debating a visa ban for Russians, which Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is also calling for. Kremlin opponent Milow considers the idea to be dangerous.
Moscow – The prominent opponent of the Kremlin, Vladimir Milov, has warned of a “visa war against Russians” in view of the debate in the European Union about entry bans for his compatriots. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) initially expressed reservations about the visa ban – but elsewhere in the EU, calls for a ban in the middle of the Ukraine war are getting louder.
Prominent opponent of the Kremlin praises German Chancellor Scholz’s cautious reaction
Scholz had been skeptical about proposals for a visa ban for Russian citizens. “This is Putin’s war,” he said, referring to possible entry bans. That’s why he finds this idea “very difficult”. Scholz pointed out that there were already entry bans and other sanctions against people close to the Russian leadership. On the other hand, a general visa ban would also target “completely innocent people”.
Vladimir Milov, a confidant of the imprisoned Moscow opposition politician Alexei Navalny, also spoke out clearly against a visa ban for Russian citizens. He said that some European politicians “spit” on Russians, considering them “garbage” and “bastards”. That damages the democratic values preached in the West and plays into the hands of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, Milow said in a video distributed on the Navalny Telegram channel on Wednesday. Milow expressly praised Scholz, who does not support the visa ban.
Russian youth does not support this war.
No visa for Russians? Navalny’s confidant warns against ban for Russian citizens
The Kremlin opponent Milow lives in exile abroad. He also expressly criticized the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, who had previously initiated the discussion about the visa ban. Even if the country is fighting against Putin’s war of aggression, no one has the right to lump all Russians together. Milov emphasized that even at the beginning of the war Zelenskyy recognized that many Russians opposed the invasion and recognized that protests about the threat of punishment are not easy in Russia. Now Selenskyj wants to punish everyone, Milow continues. Anyone who spreads alleged “fake news” in Russia faces up to 15 years in prison. Shortly after the start of the war of aggression, Putin signed a corresponding media law. Even before that, Russia was only ranked 150th out of 180 worldwide in terms of press freedom. Unarmed people are said to have been shot at in some demonstrations in Russia.
“When European politicians say that all Russians are equal, then talks about democratic values and the world order lose their meaning,” the Kremlin critic continued. “Strategically, they are sending the signal to a large crowd of pro-Western Russians that there are no democratic values, but an ethnic conflict.” That suits Putin. The Kremlin boss has long accused the West of conspiring against everything Russian. The public is also discussing the pros and cons of the visa ban. As an argument against the travel ban for all Russians, critics often cite the Versailles Treaty as a comparison or speak of “kinship liability”.
Travel ban for Russian citizens? That’s what the visa discussion is about
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for an international travel ban for all Russians to prevent Moscow from annexing occupied territories. “The most important sanctions are to close the borders, because the Russians are taking other people’s lands,” he told the US newspaper Washington Post in an Aug. 8 interview. Russians should “live in their own world until they change their philosophy”.
Discussions are now taking place in the EU about making it more difficult for Russians to obtain tourist visas or stopping them altogether. Although travel is restricted due to the cut flight and rail connections, many Russians traveled to the EU in summer despite the war. Russia’s neighbor Latvia has already tightened visa regulations. Finland is considering this, but is demanding a solution for the whole Schengen area, as is Denmark. The Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, recently called on Brussels to stop Russians from entering the EU. “Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right,” she said.
Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right.
The Czech Republic has not issued visas to Russian citizens since the first day after Russia invaded Ukraine. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has now announced that he intends to submit a proposal for a travel ban for Russian citizens to the EU foreign ministers at an informal meeting in Prague at the end of August. Zelenskyj welcomed this initiative. (dpa/bme)
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