The EU is seriously preparing to limit or even stop issuing tourist visas for Russians. Such a measure is pure hypocrisy. Because there are no real sanctions against Putin's elites yet, writes Tatyana Felgenhauer.
For three and a half years now, Russia has been waging war against Ukraine. For three and a half years, Vladimir Putin and his army have been killing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians. For three and a half years, European countries and Western allies have been supporting Ukraine, but they still seem to be one step behind Putin.
Not all Russians are “enemies and conquerors”
During this time, repressions in Russia have sharply intensified, a huge number of people have ended up behind bars for their anti-war position, and even more have been forced to leave the country. After the mobilization began, a significant number of men who did not want to fight for Putin and against Ukraine joined them. And now deserters and draft evaders continue to flee the army, including in the countries of the European Union (EU).
However, three and a half years after the start of the war, European leaders and officials have decided to return to the issue of collective responsibility. I do not know how else to define the idea of tightening the visa regime, and more precisely – the request to restrict (if not completely ban) the issuance of Schengen tourist visas to Russians. I am also surprised by this proposal, which is being discussed quite seriously and at the highest level - now, in the fall of 2025.
Often a tourist visa is the only way for a Russian who is against the war to find himself in a country where he can apply for political asylum. Often a tourist visa is the only opportunity for parents to see their children, who due to anti-war publications or other similar reasons were forced to leave Russia. Of course, someone may rightly object that against the background of the suffering of the Ukrainian people all this is trifles. And it will be true! But then the question arises: what is the point of such bans and restrictions? How exactly, according to European politicians and officials, such measures will help in opposing Vladimir Putin? How will this bring Ukraine closer to victory?
A hypocritical position
18 packages of sanctions have so far not led to anything special. Moreover, it is not clear why the process of targeted sanctions is proceeding so unclearly. Italy calmly allows a plane with the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko into its airspace, and relatives and families of officials - often the instigators of the war themselves - can regularly travel and feel safe in a variety of countries in the European Union. You will be surprised, but not even all active supporters of the total ban on Russians have stopped trading with Russia! And in this sense, the current position of the EU seems hypocritical to me personally. I believe that in order to effectively fight the Putin regime, the European Union must strike at its elites, it must strike at the main sectors of the economy. And finally try to come to an understanding with Hungary, whose leader is openly friends with Vladimir Putin!
Let me put it figuratively: if you kick a passing cat out of sheer desperation, it will not solve any of your problems. And here the question arises about the lack of real measures against Putin's elites (because after all, all names, residence permits, citizenships and even addresses of villas are well known). The question arises - is this a lack of political will? Or is it to avoid angering Putin? Maybe it is the result of some lobbying or is it a manifestation of the "business as usual" approach?
Unreserved support for Ukraine is the only way
If the goal is to stop Putin, I am afraid that a visa ban will not help. After three and a half years of war, this should have become clear to everyone. Victory over Putin can only be achieved if Ukraine wins the war! But without air defense, long-range missiles and many other things, this is impossible. Ukraine ensures the security of Europe at the cost of the lives of its citizens, at the cost of its own territories. Even after the invasion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, NATO countries are apparently still not responding adequately. That is why some smart heads are proposing to ban visas.
The effect of this will be completely different from expectations in the EU: Russian elites will continue to vacation in French resorts, and propaganda will gladly take up the chorus "How they hate Russians in Europe". If the noise from the exclamations in the Ostankino television studios is considered a key indicator of the effectiveness of the next package of sanctions, then the plan will certainly succeed. But I want to believe that among European politicians and officials there are people capable of showing common sense and taking a real step forward.
This comment expresses the personal opinion of the author and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and DW as a whole.