Zelenskyy calls on West to ban Russian travellers, says 'they should live in isolation'

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged all Western nations to ban entry for all Russians and also introduce a full embargo on Russian energy carriers. In an interview with The Washington Post, Zelenskyy stressed that “the most important sanctions are to close the borders because the Russians are taking away someone else's land”. The Ukraine’s President also proposed that Russians should “live in isolation until they change their philosophy”.

"All Russians, whoever they are... let them go to Russia. Then they will understand. They will say: "This war has nothing to do with us. The entire population canʼt be held responsible, can they?" Maybe. The population elected this government, and it does not fight or argue with it," Zelenskyy emphasised.

Zelenskyy’s remarks came in the backdrop of several nations introducing restrictions on Russians. On August 5, Latvia’s government stopped issuing visas to citizens of the Russian Federation indefinitely. Additionally, Estonia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Urmas Reinsalu said that his department is preparing a proposal to the European Union to suspend issuing visas to Russians. Even the Czech Republic’s government has decided to not issue visas and temporary residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus till March 23. 

Finland says it’s ‘unfair’ that Russians can enter Europe

Echoing similar remarks as Zelenskyy, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that she believes issuing tourist visas to Russians should face some restrictions especially as Moscow’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its six-month point. She told Finland’s national public broadcaster Yle, “It’s not right that at the same time as Russia is waging an aggressive, brutal war of aggression in Europe, Russians can live a normal life, travel in Europe, be tourists. It’s not right”. 

“I 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 added.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war began on February 24, travel bans have been used by both the West, and the Russians either to condemn the conflict or in a retaliatory move. In April, Russia added 398 members of the US Congress to the travel ban list. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “taking into account the sanctions the US is constantly introducing, further announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future”.

Image: AP