The three Baltic States have joined eight other European countries in calling on the EU to impose tighter restrictions on visas for Russian citizens, ERR reports. The joint letter from the foreign and interior ministers of nine EU member states, Norway, and Iceland stated that “Russians should not be sunning themselves on European beaches while Ukrainians are dying,” Politico reported. The ministers noted that differences in national visa policies allowed Russians to go “visa shopping.” Also, the ministers supported Estonia’s proposed visa ban on Russians who have fought in Ukraine. So far, Estonia has blacklisted 2,000 and Lithuania around 1,500 Russian soldiers, BNS reported. EU member states issued altogether 623,451 Schengen visas to Russians in 2025, which was up 8% from 565,719 in 2024. France, Italy, and Spain issued almost 75% of all Schengen visas to Russians, Euractiv reported.
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