The leaders of Estonia and Finland want fellow European countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens, saying they should not be able to take vacations in Europe while the government of Russia carries out a war in Ukraine.
A day earlier, her counterpart in Finland, Sanna Marin, told Finnish broadcaster YLE that "it is not right that while Russia is waging an aggressive, brutal war of aggression in Europe, Russians can live a normal life, travel in Europe, be tourists."
Visas issued by Finland are valid across most of Europe's travel zone, known as the "Schengen area" which is made up of 26 countries: 22 EU nations plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Normally, people and goods move freely between these countries without border checks. Nineteen other countries outside this travel area allow in foreigners using a Schengen visa.
"I would believe that in future European Council meetings, this issue will come up even more strongly. My personal position is that tourism should be restricted," Marin told the Finnish broadcaster. "I think that over time, common sense will somehow manifest itself, and those who made such statements will come to their senses," Peskov said.