Northern European Union countries called Wednesday for the 27-nation bloc to impose a broad ban on tourist visas for Russian citizens, insisting that the issue is a matter of national security as President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine drags on.
But at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Czech capital, Prague, other member countries, like France, Germany and Belgium, argued that it's important not to punish Russian people who may very well oppose the war or need to enter Europe for humanitarian purposes.The EU already tightened visa restrictions on Russian officials and business people in May under a 2007 agreement to ease travel between Russia and Europe.
Over the years, several countries have reintroduced border controls for security reasons in the so-called "Schengen area," in which Europeans and visitors can travel freely without ID checks. Amid what appear to be very entrenched divisions over the issue, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said he hoped that a common EU position can be found, pointing to the fact that Ukrainian men do not have the luxury to choose whether they can leave their war-torn country.
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