EU foreign ministers will discuss a potential ban on Russian soldiers entering the European Union during a meeting in Brussels on Monday, March 16, Lithuania’s foreign minister said.
According to European Pravda, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said the issue would be raised during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.
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“Today we will also talk about banning Russian military personnel from entering the European Union,” Budrys told reporters ahead of the meeting.
He said the EU should not allow what he described as war criminals to travel freely across the bloc.
“The European Union cannot allow war criminals to come to the EU, enjoy what we have here, sunny holidays and Aperol spritz in our capitals,” Budrys said.
“We must ban their entry and say clearly: you are not welcome here, and you will not be able to travel across Europe,” he added.
Calls for stricter restrictions on Russian nationals
Several EU countries have previously pushed for tighter visa restrictions on Russian nationals following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Some member states, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, have argued that individuals involved in Russia’s war effort should be barred from entering the EU.
The issue remains politically sensitive, however, as EU governments have differed on how broadly travel restrictions should apply to Russian citizens.
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