EU officials are weighing tighter visa restrictions for Russians amid growing fears of hybrid attacks and sabotage across the bloc.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Thursday called on Brussels to press ahead with targeted restrictions while stepping up support for Ukraine.
“We must also increase pressure on Russia, notably by making progress on targeted visa restrictions,” Metsola said at a press conference following a summit of EU leaders.
The EU executive is expected to propose “planning” targeted visa restrictions in early 2027, according to the news outlet Rapporteur. The plans are being spearheaded by Poland, Sweden and Estonia, according to Politico Europe.
The EU Council working group on visa policy met Wednesday to discuss issuing Limited Territorial Validity (LTV) visas to Russian applicants that would restrict travelers to the borders of the issuing state rather than allow access to the wider Schengen zone.
The outcome of those talks was not made public.
Germany has proposed requiring member states that still issue visas for nonessential travel to switch to LTV visas, Rapporteur reported. Ireland, which holds the EU Council’s rotating presidency, reportedly warned that the measure could fail to prevent security threats from spreading across the bloc.
The proposal follows an alleged drone plot in Germany in August involving a Russian passport holder who reportedly entered the Schengen zone on an Italian tourist visa.
Tourism industry experts told the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry that LTV visas could complicate trips spanning several European countries, lengthen visa processing times and reduce visa availability.
Meanwhile, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he planned to propose a complete halt to issuing tourist visas for Russian citizens at the ongoing European Council summit.
“We fear that Russia will attempt to organize acts of sabotage in Europe. Why then are we letting Russians come here as tourists and allowing them to move freely?” Orpo said last week.
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