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EU to tighten travel rules for Russians, but no visa ban

Published:Wednesday | August 31, 2022 | 2:44 PM
Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde (centre), speaks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (second left) during a group photo of EU foreign ministers at the Prague Congress Center in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, August 31, 2022. Others from left are Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

PRAGUE (AP) — European Union countries agreed Wednesday to make it harder for Russian citizens to enter the 27-nation bloc, but they failed to find a consensus on imposing an outright tourist ban in response to Russia's war on Ukraine.

At talks in the Czech Republic, EU foreign ministers were desperate to put on a show of unity and further punish President Vladimir Putin for launching the war over six months ago.

Still, they couldn't bridge differences over whether Russian citizens, some of them possibly opposed to the invasion, should also pay a price.

The plan now is to make it more time-consuming and costly for Russian citizens to obtain short-term visas to enter Europe's passport-free travel zone — a 26-country area made up of most of the EU members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland known as the Schengen area.

The move will be done by freezing a 2007 agreement to ease travel between Russia and Europe.

The EU already tightened visa restrictions on Russian officials and businesspeople under the accord in May.

Speaking after chairing the meeting in the Czech capital Prague, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that an increasing number of Russians have been arriving in Europe since mid-July, some “for leisure and shopping as if no war is raging in Ukraine.”

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