Estonia proposes to ban entry to Schengen for all Russians who fought in Ukraine - Tsakhkna
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna proposes banning entry into the Schengen area for anyone who served in the Russian army and participated in hostilities on Ukrainian territory.
This was reported by Politico, according to Censor.NET.
According to Tsakhna, there are fears that after the war ends, thousands of former Russian soldiers with combat experience and criminal records could arrive in the EU.
"Today, there are about a million, or at least hundreds of thousands, of men who have fought or continue to fight in Ukraine. What will happen if they want to enter the Schengen area?" the publication quotes the diplomat as saying.
Estonia emphasizes that the return of such individuals to civilian life increases the risk of criminality and their potential use by special services to destabilize societies in Europe.
"There is no place in a free Europe for military personnel with combat experience, including those sent to the front from prisons with anti-European views," Tsahkna said.
Estonian representatives emphasized that the ban would be preventive in nature and could make Russians think twice before participating in the war against Ukraine. The current Schengen Visa Code does not provide for checks on participation in hostilities, so the introduction of restrictions requires a change in the rules at the level of the European Commission and the Council of the EU.
Estonia has already banned 261 Russians who fought in Ukraine from entering the country, but now plans to impose more extensive restrictions on tens or hundreds of thousands of people.
