“We are ready to impose restrictions on the issuance of visas to Russian citizens, but we will not stop issuing them,” Swedish Immigration Minister Anders Eggman said, adding: “I think it will be difficult to completely stop this, it would be a mistake. For example, by abolishing the simplified procedure for obtaining a visa, we, Estonia, Finland and others, are striving for the European Union.”

He emphasized that “there should be no sanctions against ordinary citizens, emphasizing that “we want sanctions to hit first of all the political and economic elite in Russia, if visas are completely abolished, then dissidents or researchers will not be able to come to the European union, or maybe not. We still want that kind of exchange with Russia.”

Earlier, an official representative of Brussels said that on August 30-31, EU foreign ministers during an informal meeting in Prague will consider the proposal of Estonia and Finland to ban the issuance of short-term visas to Russian citizens. to make them “pay the price”. Special operation in Ukraine. While most of the southern and western countries of the European Union oppose such an initiative.