Estonia and 10 European countries are pushing for the European Union to reduce Russian access to the Schengen Area ahead of the upcoming summer.
Politico Europe cites a joint letter from nine EU members, as well as non-members Norway and Iceland, which it sums up as: “Russians shouldn’t be sunning themselves on European beaches while Ukrainians are dying.”
EU data shows that the number of visas issued to Russians has been increasing, despite the war on Ukraine, and rose 8 percent in 2025 to 623,451. France issued the most Schengen visas to Russians in 2025, followed by Italy and Spain.
The letter was initiated by Sweden and sent to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner ahead of Thursday’s Justice and Home Affairs Council. It calls for a tightening of the visa policy for Russians.
The appeal has been backed by EU foreign and interior ministers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Poland.
Read more: ERR.EE
