Kallas: EU could tighten visa rules for Russian citizens
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc could increase scrutiny of Russian diplomats and restrict visas for former combatants and tourists from Russia. The EU is also finalizing a new sanctions package and continuing to target Russia's shadow fleet.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament on September 15 that EU member states could tighten monitoring of Russian diplomats' movements within the Schengen area, ban visas for former Russian combatants, and reduce the number of tourist visas issued to Russian citizens.
Kallas noted that Hungary recently expelled ten Russian diplomats, while the EU has already limited the size of Russia's mission to the bloc. She said there is potential for further action: stepping up monitoring of Russian diplomats' movement across Schengen, banning visas for former combatants, and reviewing the practice of issuing tourist visas to Russian nationals in order to reduce the number of people able to carry out attacks on European territory.
Sanctions and the shadow fleet
Kallas also stressed the importance of cutting off Russia's sources of financing. She said EU sanctions have already cost the Russian economy one trillion euros. Work is currently being finalized on the largest sanctions target list to date, and the EU continues to dismantle Russia's so-called shadow fleet, with EU naval operations playing a leading role in inspecting suspicious vessels.
The EU has been discussing since summer restrictions on visas for people who fought in Ukraine on Russia's side. The bloc's 21st sanctions package included a mechanism for banning visas to Russian military personnel, though the ban itself has not yet entered into force. Kallas has previously said the EU must accelerate its defense preparedness as threats to Europe grow, meaning member states should be ready sooner than the previously stated target of 2030.
