(CNN)Finland, a country that shares a 830-mile-long border with Russiaannounced this week that it will halve the number of visa applications from Russian citizens.
Currently 1,000 Russians can apply for a Finnish visa every day, but after September 1st that number will drop to her 500. Jussi Tanner, head of consular services at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told CNN. Up to 20% of these slots are allocated for tourist visas. This means that no more than 100 tourist visas per day are allowed.
The move comes after Estonia, another of her EU member states that borders Russia, barred entry even to Russians who already had visas. According to Reuters, this equates to her 50,000.
The Czech Republic and Latvia also support visa bans, and have taken steps to restrict her travel to the EU.
The proposal was first put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zone, Schengen Area.
Not everyone agrees. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was important to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin's close associates, but Europeans said "there are many people fleeing Russia because they oppose the Russian regime." also need to be understood,” he said.
A senior German diplomat told his CNN that Scholz's allegations were not based on fact. "Anyone can apply for a humanitarian visa," the diplomat said.
Those who advocate restricting Russian visas believe their argument is very clear. 26}
Former Finnish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, who previously advocated visa liberalization with Russia, told CNN: by a Russian citizen.
He said, "The only way that the hearts and minds of the Russian people can be changed is that what Putin is doing is a blatant violation of international law." This would mean a total visa ban for Russians.”
Former Estonian Defense Minister and current Member of the European Parliament Rasa Juknevičienė said, “First and foremost. , this is a security issue."
“Russian citizens travel to the EU mainly through Finland and Estonia. It's controlled by KGB legacy structures that abuse sex, various operations," Yuknewitiene told CNN.
European leaders are unlikely to reach full agreement on the issue. However, there are geographic realities that complicate consensus among 27 countries with vastly different economic and political priorities.
Countries in the west and south of the EU , which is somewhat protected from Kremlin attacks due to its remoteness, is a quick reminder to the hawks that Russia occupies a very large part of a large part of Europe. 38}
So simply ignoring Russia is not only very difficult, but probably not particularly productive.European economies will want to reestablish relations with Russia once the war is over. Not only is this beneficial for these countries, but it could also prove valuable in a post-conflict propaganda war to convince average Russians of the advantages of European values.
Strategically, most serious people agree that postwar European security planning must involve Russia.
At the other end of the spectrum are countries such as Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which have already suffered considerably at the hands of Russia. From the threat of the Soviet dictatorship and, more recently, Putin's Kremlin.
These are competing factors that greatly complicate the treatment of Putin and Russia.
Will the EU cooperate with Putin if Putin remains in power after the war? What should be included in the hypothetical treaty to assure various European leaders that Russia will not provoke further conflict? What concessions is the EU willing to make to broker peace? do you do? In all this, it is worth remembering that Ukraine is currently a candidate for EU membership.
All of these big questions create smaller ones, such as what to do during a visa dispute. And the longer the war drags on, the more of these questions will arise as the West's options for sanctions and retaliation become increasingly limited.
The harsh reality is that these small issues, themselves a headache, must be balanced against the best long-term outcome during this dire time. And the blunt truth is one thing will never change. That is, Europe cannot simply ignore Russia.
