'No more shopping weekends': 11 European countries seek tougher Russian visa rules

Key Points:

• A coalition of nine EU member states, along with Iceland and Norway, is pushing to tighten visa conditions for Russian tourists ahead of the summer holiday season, led by Sweden and supported by countries including Czechia, Denmark, and the Baltic states.
• The coalition criticized the inconsistent implementation of EU guidelines on Russian visa applications, arguing that this fragmentation weakens the EU's leverage against Russia amid ongoing military aggression in Ukraine.
• The letter highlights security concerns related to the movement of Russian military personnel within the Schengen area and points to data showing a rise in visas issued to Russian nationals, with France, Italy, and Spain issuing the highest numbers.
• Opponents argue that visa issuance reflects the size of member states rather than undermining EU sanctions, but the coalition calls for binding visa restrictions, better monitoring, regular statistics, and mechanisms to identify former Russian combatants.
• The issue was discussed informally at a recent EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, with the coalition seeking a formal proposal to renew debate on tightening visa policies for Russian nationals.