Finland’s Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, called on European Union (EU) member states to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens until Moscow ends its war against Ukraine. | Photo: Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter
Humphrey CarterPalma12/10/2026 12:36
On Monday, Finland’s Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, called on European Union (EU) member states to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens until Moscow ends its war against Ukraine, and advocated for a common and stricter visa policy across the EU.
“Tourist visas should not be granted to Russian citizens whilst Russia continues its war of aggression. It is not fair that Russians should enjoy the pleasures and freedoms of the European way of life whilst their country is bombing Ukrainian homes,” Valtonen said in a statement.
According to the minister, the number of tourist visas issued by Schengen Area countries to Russian citizens has risen in recent years despite the war in Ukraine, reaching almost 500,000 visas in 2025. “Finland banned the issuance of visas to Russian citizens for non-essential travel through a government decision in 2022. The same must finally be done across the whole of the EU,” Valtonen insisted.
The Finnish foreign minister noted that she has asked the other Member States to join a joint letter addressed to the European Commission (EC), in which she proposes a total ban on tourist visas for Russian nationals and on Schengen visas for individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The letter also calls for restrictions on visas for Russian athletes and for the visa ban on Russian combatants – agreed by EU countries last summer – to be enforced. “The EU must act jointly” on this issue, she emphasised on the social media platform X.
In addition to Finland, there are around ten European countries that do not issue tourist visas to Russian citizens, almost all of them in the north of the continent, whilst those issuing the most visas are the southern countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece.