Russians are welcome. Russians on vacation in Europe. For many, the idea of lounging on the beaches of Italy or the south of France, traditionally a favorite destination for wealthy Russians, is unbearable. The journey south – for Russians, often passes through the EU states of Estonia and Finland, which border the Putin empire. From there now comes an initiative to put an end to this activity. Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister, wrote on Twitter: “Stop issuing visas to Russians. Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right. It’s time to end Russia’s tourism – now.” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin phrased this at least as drastically when she commented that “it is not right for Russians to lead normal lives, travel in Europe and tourists while Russia is waging an aggressive and brutal war of aggression in Europe.” .” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna takes a much more pragmatic view of this than in Finland and Estonia. With a general visa freeze, existing contacts with Russian civil society would hardly be possible, according to the ministry. Germany is also extremely cautious on this issue, so the rule in the EU will likely remain: Russians are welcome.
