EU weighs scaled-back visa ban on former Russian military personnel, with Italy and France opposing stricter restrictions

EU member states are negotiating a scaled-back visa ban on Russian military personnel after Italy and France objected to the original proposal, Euronews reports. Under the revised measure, restrictions would apply only to short-term visas and only to those who took direct part in the war in Ukraine.

The ban is expected to be folded into the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which EU members are aiming to adopt in mid-July. The original proposal would have extended restrictions to anyone with any connection to the Russian armed forces.

Exceptions were to be granted only to applicants with ties to the Russian military who could show they were dissidents or had deserted — and even then, the visa would have been valid only in the issuing country, not across the EU.

The European Union unveiled its 21st package of sanctions against Russia in early June. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed including a ban on entry to EU countries for all Russians who had participated in the war or served in the military since February 24, 2022.

Italy and France, as reported, did not oppose barring former Russian military personnel from the EU. Their concern was that the European Commission’s proposal, in its original form, could amount to a “blanket ban” on entry for Russian citizens.

Rome and Paris also argued that the ban should be governed by visa policy rather than sanctions, warning that in practice the restrictions could create problems for countries that handle large numbers of Russian visa applications. Italy and France pointed in particular to the fact that in Russia all men between the ages of 18 and 30 are required to complete mandatory military service.