The EU on Tuesday suggested an entry ban for Russian soldiers. The plan calls for all people who have served in the Russian military since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including non-Russian citizens, to receive Schengen visas.
The EU had already done it Sanctions implemented against Russia following its annexation of Crimea in 2014, including economic sanctions, individual sanctions, diplomatic measures and visa measures. Sanctions have escalated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine.
The proposals are part of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plans for the EU’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and will require the approval of member state governments before decisions are made on them Common foreign and security policy (CFSP) generally require the unanimous consent of all governments of the member states in the Council. These proposals come after a coalition of 11 European countries called for tougher visa restrictions on Russian tourists at an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg last week.
In addition to the proposed Russian sanctions, the EU will also make the first payment of a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine by the end of June and will formally open negotiations this week on Ukraine and Moldova joining the bloc.
