Banning Russian Tourists from the Eurozone

photo via Telefgram

Russians are discovering just how unwanted they have become. There is a growing movement to lock Russian tourists from the Eurozone. It started with Estonia, which should surprise no one familiar with the Baltics' history.

According to DW:

According to the Finnish media, Russians have applied for almost 60,000 Finnish visas since the beginning of the war. Most of the applicants for a Schengen visa came from St. Petersburg. And it is precisely this gateway to the European Union that now worries many in the EU. While the Kremlin is bombing Ukrainian cities, Russians cannot possibly enjoy summer vacations within the European Union, officials say.

For months, the Baltic states have ceased being a travel destination for Russians. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia no longer issue tourist visas to Russian citizens. Latvia now only allows Russians entry in the event of the death of a next of kin.

The heads of government of Finland and Estonia recently called on other EU countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians. In Finland, 58% of the population no longer wants tourist visas for Russians, according to a poll by the public television station Yle.

Of all the things that have befallen Russia, this seems to make them react the worse. The idea that Europe is slowly closing down to them is beyond the pale. Why? You’d think stores closing and McDonald’s going away would be a sign. In a way, it signals that Russians now live outside the European order. They are reduced to Asian culture, with few traces of a European past.

Whether Russia has commonality with Europe is beside the point. Her actions in Ukraine place it outside those Western values.

In Telegram, it was presented like this, just for Latvia.

🤷‍♀️ Russians will only be allowed into Latvia for the funerals of close relatives. But for everyone else, visas are no longer required — even for work and study.

The Baltics, it seems, have not even started yet. The head of the Estonian Foreign Ministry intends to ask Brussels to ban the issuance of visas to Russians in Europe. This measure, by the way, is supported by both the Finnish government and the majority of ordinary Finns.