(C) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
This story was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is unaltered.
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Ukraine Says Europe Should Ban Travel To All Russians Except 'Real' Opponents Of Putin [1]
["Rfe Rl'S Ukrainian Service"]
Date: 2022-08
PRAGUE -- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the European Union to ban all Russians except political dissidents from traveling to the bloc on the grounds that Moscow’s unprovoked invasion enjoys wide support at home.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague on August 30, Kuleba said Europe is deluding itself if it thinks that only Russian President Vladimir Putin is to blame for the ongoing war and not wide swaths of Russian society.
"When interviewed on the streets, most Russians support Putin’s policies...so calling this war a 'Putin problem' and not the problem of the Russian society that mostly supports its president is self-deception," Kuleba said.
WATCH: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Insists EU Drop 'Illusions' About Welcoming Russian Tourists
EU foreign and defense ministers are in the Czech capital to discuss additional punishments against Russia, including a possible blanket ban on Russian travel to the bloc, as well as ways to help Ukraine defend itself six months into the full-scale war.
The push for a visa ban has been gaining steam in recent weeks, especially among Central and Eastern European nations, but has faced pushback from some heavyweight members. The measure needs the approval of all 27 member states.
Hours before the meeting, France and Germany issued a joint paper arguing that limiting visas for Russians would be counterproductive as the EU tries to win the "hearts and minds" of those Russians who don't support the invasion.
Kuleba said "real" Russian opponents of Putin should be allowed to visit the European Union but dismissed the idea that travel to the bloc will have an impact on the views of other Russians toward Putin or the war.
Kuleba argued that since the EU eased travel entry requirements for Russians in 2007, Moscow has invaded Georgia and Ukraine, assassinated political opponents in Europe, and used its gas and oil as weapons against the bloc.
"My question is: How's that transformative impact [of eased travel to the EU] working out? Maybe they should see what's really happening and admit that those are just illusions," he said.
The EU has already tightened travel restrictions for Russians and banned Russian plans from its airspace.
Yet Russians, including some officials and their relatives, are still traveling to EU states to vacation.
Images of regime elite like Liza Peskova, the daughter of Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who recently visited Greece, have fed international resentment as Ukrainian casualties and hardships mount.
Russians "must choose," Kuleba said: "If you support Putin, stay in Russia and enjoy it; don't use Europe for your benefit."
He called the issue "a matter of self-respect" for Europeans.
[END]
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[1] Url:
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-europe-ban-travel-all-russians-except-putins-opponents/32011115.html
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