Ruling party, opposition MEPs want EU to impose visa ban on Russians

Polish ruling party and main opposition grouping MEPs have told PAP that the EU should stop issuing tourist visas to Russians until Russia halts its invasion of Ukraine.

"No visas for Putin's electorate means solidarity with Ukraine," governing Law and Justice (PiS) party MEP Bogdan Rzońca said.

"The EU must be consistent... President Vladimir Putin does not respect the sovereignty of states, he has attacked Ukraine and wants to enlarge his evil empire," Rzońca said, adding that the EU should not respect the rights of the supporters of the regime.

According to Jerzy Buzek of Poland's main opposition party, the Civic Platform (PO), the EU-wide visa ban for Russian nationals should be in force until Russia stops its aggression against Ukraine.

"Enough of the double standards: one must not murder, invade and bomb one European neighbour and, at the same time, go to another to spend holidays there, to shop or play golf," said Buzek, adding that the position of his party was clear.

"An EU-wide unconditional visa ban on Russian nationals should be in force as long as Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its residents continues," Buzek said, adding that the ban should not cover democratic opposition representatives persecuted by the Putin regime.

In a letter to European Commission and European Council heads Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, respectively, a group of several dozen MEPs have demanded the suspension of tourist visas to the EU for Russians.

The letter was signed by MEPs from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and other countries.

We decidedly support the idea voiced by several EU members, most notably Finland and the Baltic countries, to suspend the issue of tourist visas for Russian citizens, the citizens of a country which has launched an unprovoked war against Ukraine, they wrote.