Countries including Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Finland and the Czech Republic have asked the EU to limit or block short-term Schengen visas for Russians in protest at their country’s invasion of Ukraine. After six months of war, the proposal echoes widespread frustration with a Russian public that seems either unable or unwilling to support a meaningful resistance to the war being waged in its name. The situation has been exacerbated by high-profile incidents, such as a Russian woman harassing two Ukrainian refugees in Europe. “Stop giving tourist visas to Russians,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted last week. “Visiting #Europe is a privilege, not a human right.” However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the call, saying a blanket visa ban for Russians was “difficult to imagine”. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the measure at an informal meeting this month, although it will need universal approval from the bloc’s 27 members. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has led calls for a ban on tourist visas for Russians. Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images The proposal has also sparked a heated debate among Russians — including vocal opponents of the war, who often live in exile in Europe — about how the visa ban could signal a step toward Soviet-era isolation. “I don’t see anything good in banning Russians from Europe because they need to see a free world,” said Ilya Krasilshchik, a Russian online publisher who has been threatened with prosecution in Russia for opposing the war and is currently in Europe. While he believed the visa ban was unlikely to pass, he said problems opening bank accounts in Europe had made it difficult for dissidents to operate in exile. Instead, he would like intense scrutiny to get rid of Russians with pro-war views. “And as for the idea that if the Russians cannot leave the country, they will rise up and overthrow the regime, that is an absolute lie… The experience of the Soviet Union shows that closing the borders does not lead to the overthrow of the regime. I understand the anger at the moment, but I think in the long run it’s dangerous.” Many Russians contacted by the Observer agreed that ordinary tourism had become a clear flashpoint as the country became embroiled in a brutal war against its neighbour. “I believe that if you leave Russia you should be actively against the war,” said Ira Lobanovskaya, who started a Relocation Guide from the Russian Federation Telegram chat to advise people to leave the country. “You can’t be out of politics anymore: that’s barbaric in today’s climate. We emphasize this when we help people relocate… I understand that the West does not want Russians partying on the streets of Europe.” But keeping Russians in Russia would be counterproductive, he said. About half of the more than 40,000 people her organization has counseled want to speak out or attend anti-government marches, she added. “They need to unite abroad, form anti-war alliances and talk. You can’t just take down a nuclear power like Russia right now from the inside. It’s just unrealistic.” However, Ilya Ponomarev, a former Duma deputy who has been living in exile in Ukraine since 2016, is in favor of the ban. He said Russians capable of doing so should stay in Russia to fight the regime, it was not productive for people to simply go to prison, “leaving the country should be the last resort.” “You can’t stay out of this war,” he said in an interview in Ukraine. “If you want to stay away, don’t complain about being kicked out of Europe.” He said he believed 98% of people leaving the country were not in danger, but left “exactly because it’s inconvenient for them [in Russia]”. He continued: “I very much agree with the leader of Estonia when she said that being in Europe is not a human right. it’s a privilege. If you want that privilege, do something in Russia first, earn that privilege, make a bold move, and then leave. And we should not restrict such people from leaving.” Tourists enjoy lunch near the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Tallinn. Estonia is one of the countries calling for their ban. Photo: Kirk Fisher/Alamy In an online speech this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his call to limit Schengen visas for Russians, saying “there should be guarantees that Russian murderers and accomplices of state terrorism do not use Schengen visas.” But he also called for support for Russians “who really need help.” “There are known legal mechanisms, through refugee status, asylum claims and other ways of receiving support.” Russian activists say tourist visas are an important tool for many trying to leave Russia, especially when they leave across land borders because flying out of the country is too expensive or too dangerous. “This is a safety mechanism for thousands of Russians who already or may in the future suffer from repression,” said Anton Barbashin of the Riddle Russia news site, who is currently in Europe. “The visa ban will limit the opportunities that critics of the regime have to reach a safe place when they need it.” Countries such as Latvia, Estonia and Finland have seen an influx of Russian tourists and immigrants since the start of the war and have independently begun to tighten immigration rules and impose limited visa bans. Other informal proposals aimed at curbing Russian wartime tourism include requiring Russians to sign a statement condemning the invasion when entering Europe. Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul suggests that Russian visitors should be forced to pay a tax of around 100 euros for the reconstruction of Ukraine. “For those countries reluctant to ban all Russians from visiting their countries, the idea of charging an additional visa fee that would then go to Ukrainian reconstruction offers an alternative answer,” he said. “Doing nothing – just maintaining the status quo – should not be an option.” He argued that blanket restrictions would be avoided that could punish Russians who have opposed the war and help cause a brain drain in Russia. “Regarding the dilemma of the Russians who are accused of financing the reconstruction of the Ukrainian government, this is their choice, no one is forcing them to travel to democratic Europe! They can vacation in the European country of Belarus.” Wealthy Russians would likely find a way around any ban, said the British son of a Russian businessman who holds a passport. He was in St. Tropez this summer and there were “as many Russians as usual”. “The elite will always find a way to get to Europe,” he said. “Many of my generation went to school here. We have lived in the west long enough to obtain residence permits or a second passport. Those who don’t talk about getting Turkish papers if Europe goes through with it. There will always be gaps for those with money.”
