The division between the EU countries stops a total ban on Russian tourists

The debate has been triggered by the president of Ukraine himself, Volodymyr Zelenskywhich maintains that a total closure of the borders against the Russians would be (along with the energy embargo) the most effective sanction against the Kremlin and an effective recipe to end the war, which has the support of the civilian population.

“This is the only way to influence Putin. Because this person has no other fear than the fear for his life. And his life depends on whether he is threatened by his internal population or not. Therefore, when your population puts pressure on your decisions, then there will be results. And the war will end,” Zelensky argued in an interview. in august daily Washington Post.

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The EU ended all air links with Russia from the day the war broke out in February. Since then, most Russian visitors they enter by land through bordering countries, such as Finland or the Baltics. Although these are already restricting visas, Russians can use those issued by any member state, which allow them to move throughout the Schengen territory.

It is precisely Finland, Poland and the Baltics that most strongly demand the closure of borders against the Russians. “It is not correct thatat the same time that Russia is waging a brutal war of aggression in Europe, Russians can live a normal life, travel around Europe, be tourists. It’s not right,” said the Finnish Prime Minister, sanna marin.

“It would have an effect on the Kremlin. Only 30% of Russian citizens have a foreign passport. Most of them are residents of St. Petersburg and Moscow, the Russian elites. If they are not satisfied with the actions of the Kremlin, if they feel it in their own skin, they will also put pressure on the Kremlin to end this war,” says the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas. Kallas defends exceptions for humanitarian reasons or for dissidents or asylum seekers.

In fact, the Putin regime has reacted with particular fury to this debate, accusing the EU of “Russophobia”. “The irrationality of this way of thinking is off the scale. This can only be viewed in an extremely negative light. Any attempt to isolate Russia or the Russians is a hopeless process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.

However, the closure of borders for the Russians has run into total opposition from Germany. “There are many people fleeing Russia because they disagree with the Russian regime (…) The decisions we make should not complicate the exit of the country for those who escape the dictatorship in Russia,” says Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz.

The Government of Pedro Sánchez also has doubts about the effectiveness of this measure. Spain supports any initiative that helps to undermine Russia’s war effort and to bring peace back to Ukraine, but considers that Russian citizens must have access to free and truthful information and be exposed to realitysaid the foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares.

“I don’t think cutting off relations with the Russian civilian population will help and I do not believe that this idea meets the required unanimity“, said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, in an interview on Austrian television.

The compromise solution handled by Brussels consists of suspend the visa facilitation agreement that the EU has with Russia. A step that would complicate and make access to these documents more expensive (from 35 to 80 euros), but would not stop Russian tourists from entering Europe.

At the informal meeting that begins this Tuesday in Prague, the EU foreign and defense ministers plan to approve the creation of a military training mission to the Ukrainian Armywhich would take place in neighboring countries.

This military mission was proposed by Poland and the Balts before the outbreak of the war, but at the time Germany opposed it for fear of provoking Russia. “We have 17 missions deployed around the world. It seems reasonable that a war, which is going on and looks like it will last, requires an effort not only in material supply, but also in training and helping to organize the army,” Borrell said.

“It will not be in Ukraine. It will be in neighboring countries that already have training missions. There are many Ukrainian soldiers who are being trained in Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, France. When we provide weapons, they are quite sophisticated and you have to use them. And in order to be used, they require quite significant training,” says the head of EU diplomacy.