Former Spy Chief Says Russian Tourist Visas Must End

The former head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and current Member of Parliament demanded urgent actions to keep Russians out of Europe.

Referring to Russian judges, civil servants, and officials visiting the European Union as a “disgrace,” the former spy chief asked that Europe take immediate action to ban these “unfriendly” Russians from visiting European cities – noting that Russian members of Parliament (Duma Deputies) have called for nuclear weapons to be used against some of these various cities.

In speaking to the Kyiv Post, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said that Europe’s need to urgently end Russian travel was important for solidarity with Ukraine but even more important to protect the very national security of Europe. Nalyvaichenko noted that Russians had felt an increased sense of impunity to European sanctions because, despite these actions, Russians still felt comfortable enough to pass their summer vacations across Europe.

This action is not simply a “public display of solidarity,” but rather a real action to defend Europe, Nalyvaichenko argued, and those Russians who have already obtained Schengen visas, before the war began, should have their visas cancelled.

“Currently, everything looks like the citizens of the aggressor country are traveling as tourists to the countries that are being threatened, and this is precisely at the time when Russian troops and mercenaries are killing people in Ukraine. What kind of tourism is this? What kind of tourists are those Russian citizens?”

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Nalyvaichenko observed that Russians posed an additional threat to the European Union, which does not have access “to the  database and biometrics of Russian citizens. This means that the Russian Federation can issue its foreign passports en masse and unchecked to special service employees, agents, potential saboteurs, etc. Passports with fictitious surnames and data that cannot be identified and monitored.”

Taking these actions now would be an effective means of preparing Europe for the increasingly aggressive actions of Moscow, noted the political leader.