Russia seeks to build bridges, not tear them down, the Foreign Ministry says
Moscow has no plans to restrict visas for EU citizens, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
She made her comments after multiple media outlets reported that the EU was considering limiting visas for Russian tourists as part of its 19th sanctions package.
“We have no plans to close the border to European citizens or to restrict their visits in any way. We believe that human contacts, tourism, business, and humanitarian ties must be maintained. Our country seeks to build bridges between people despite efforts within the EU to tear them down,” Zakharova said at her regular Thursday briefing.
“Such discriminatory measures are yet another element of the hybrid warfare waged by Brussels and of the cancel culture aimed at everything Russian,” she added.
In 2022, the EU suspended a deal that simplified visa procedures for Russians and cut application fees, citing the Ukraine conflict. Moscow suspended the same arrangement the following year.
Several EU members, including Estonia and Finland, have called for a full ban on Russian tourists, describing them as potential security threats. One of the proponents of the ban is former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who now serves as the EU’s top diplomat.
