Estonia proposes to help EU limit the entry of Russian citizens to Europe

Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu on July 29 stated that Tallinn will propose limiting the entry of Russians into Europe as a general rule. He also believes that Estonia should follow Latvia's lead and require Russian citizens seeking to enter the country to sign a proclamation criticising Putin's war in Ukraine.

"Russian citizens can still access Estonia even after we stopped issuing visas. They simply get another country's Schengen visa. That loophole needed to be closed. The simplest remedy would be pan-European restrictions. This would require cutting off Russian citizens' access to Europe as a main rule, which is what Estonia will propose," Reinsalu explained on the Vikerhommik radio show when explaining the government's decision to limit the issuance of fixed-term residence permits and study visas for Russian and Belarusian citizens.

Estonia stops issuing visas to Russian students

Reinsalu stated that a similar discussion is taking place in Finland, which has continued to issue tourism permits, resulting in plenty of controversy. He also reported that the number of persons trying to flee Russia has increased significantly since the war began. Further, on July 28, Estonia declared that it would no longer grant visas or residency permits to Russian residents seeking to enrol in studies there since the invasion of Ukraine posed a threat to national security.

The decision from the foreign ministry also puts an end to the practice of allowing Russians or inhabitants of Belarus, an ally, who had obtained a visa from another member state of the European Union, the right to short-term employment. Estonia is a member of the 27-nation group. Along with the other Baltic nations of Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since been one of the most vocal opponents of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In less than two weeks last month, Estonia sent two protest letters to Russia in response to Moscow's actions and words. Moreover, the EU leaders were criticised by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in May for their largely fruitless attempts at telephone diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Estonian President Alar Karis has earlier stated that if Europe remains united, Ukraine's victory over Russia will be imminent.

(With Agency inputs)

Image: AP