 |
| US Rejects Ukraine's Request About Implementing Visa Ban for All Russian Citizens |
As quoted by Reuters on Monday (22/8/2022), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first pushed for a visa ban in an interview earlier this month with the Washington Post. He said Russians should "live in their own world until they change their philosophy".
Zelenskyy then issued another call a few weeks ago for EU countries to ban visas for Russian citizens, so that the bloc doesn't become a "supermarket" open to anyone with the means to enter.
A State Department spokeswoman said President Joe Biden's administration had imposed visa restrictions on Kremlin officials, but made clear that the focus was on identifying those involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and holding them accountable.
"The United States does not want to close the lines of protection and security for Russian dissidents or others who are vulnerable to human rights abuses. We have also made it clear that it is important to draw a line between the actions of the Russian government and its policies in Ukraine, and the Russian people," a department spokesman said. US Foreign Affairs.
Several EU leaders such as Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her Estonian counterpart, Kaja Kallas, have called for a visa ban across the EU. Meanwhile German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposed this on Monday. He said Russia should be able to leave their home country if they disagreed with the regime.