In response to the remarks of the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas regarding the privilege of traveling to the EU, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova pointed to the millions of illegal migrants.
The EU has banned multiple-entry visas for Russians, and commenting on the ban, Kallas called entering the EU "not a right, but a privilege".
"She is, of course, talking about the millions of illegal migrants to whom the EU currently provides preferential treatment," Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel. "She is not talking about legal tourists who paid for visas and went to see the Eiffel Tower and Milan for shopping," the diplomat noted, calling Kallas "a person of rare intelligence."
We recall that the EU is tightening visa rules for Russian citizens and banning multiple entry permits in most cases.
With immediate effect, Russians will no longer be issued multiple-entry visas, meaning they will have to apply for a new single-entry permit each time they want to travel to the territory of the Union.
The measure will allow for "careful and frequent screening of applicants to mitigate any potential security risk," the European Commission said.
Top EU diplomat Kaia Kallas wrote on social media: "Starting a war and expecting to move freely in Europe is difficult to justify." She linked the new, stricter rules to "continued drone disruptions and sabotage on European soil".
The EU has drastically reduced the number of visas it has issued to Russians since the Kremlin began its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, suspending a key visa facilitation deal and cutting the number of visas from 4 million a year to around 500,000.
However, the number of Russians entering the bloc actually increased by around 10% in 2024 compared to 2023, with Hungary, France, Spain and Italy continuing to approve visas in large numbers. Issuing visas is a national competence, meaning the Commission cannot unilaterally ban Russians from entering the EU, and the new rules will be left to member states to implement.