EU considering ban on entry for Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine

(Patria) - The European Union has begun considering a new proposal that would ban entry for Russian soldiers who participated in the war in Ukraine, due to fears of security risks, reports Euronews.

This plan, which is still in the development phase, was presented by Estonia during yesterday's meeting of foreign ministers.

"In Russia, we have almost a million fighters. These are mostly criminals, very dangerous people. I am sure, and we have information, that most of them will come to Europe after the war, and Europe is not ready for that," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

He stated that it is necessary to have a "well-coordinated" common policy at the EU level to systematically blacklist Russian veterans in a post-war scenario.

Earlier this month, Estonia imposed a permanent entry ban on 261 Russian soldiers who participated in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"We must protect European security, and we must do it together. There can be no path from Bucha to Brussels, that is the main message," Tsahkna added.

At the end of the meeting, High Representative Kaja Kallas said that "many member states," which she did not name, expressed support for the Estonian plan.

"This represents a clear security risk for Europe. We agreed to further develop this proposal and gauge the mood of the member states," Kallas said.

She added that the issue of Russian veterans will arise if a ceasefire ever occurs in Ukraine and that the EU must "have answers" before that happens.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have reported progress in the latest rounds of negotiations, although a peace agreement remains a distant unknown due to ongoing Russian bombing.

"This is one of the steps we must prepare for. What will we do? What are the risks then? Because the risks also change," Kallas stated.

The next steps in the process are not clearly defined for now. The European Commission is the institution responsible for coordinating visa policy.

Last year, it tightened rules to prevent holders of Russian passports from obtaining multiple-entry visas for the Schengen area. They are now only entitled to single-entry permits.

Although the issue has an obvious foreign policy dimension, it technically falls under the area of migration, meaning a qualified majority is sufficient to make a decision.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in December that around 700,000 Russian soldiers had fought in Ukraine.

Blacklisting such a large number of individuals could create serious logistical difficulties for European authorities.