EU refuses to ban entry for russian military personnel who fought against Ukraine - Euractiv

The European Union has refused to include in its new package of sanctions against russia, the aggressor nation, a ban on entry into the EU for russian military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine. It was reported by the European news portal Euractiv.

Earlier, the Baltic states had proposed a Europe-wide ban on former russian military personnel. The proposal was to ban them from entering the European Union. France, Italy, and Greece insisted on softening this proposal.

Unnamed sources speaking to Euractiv said that under pressure from countries in the bloc, whose economies depend on russian tourists, the proposal under discussion moved away from a broad and automatic visa ban on all military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine.

Some capitals requested a more targeted or narrow definition due to concerns about the technical feasibility of the measure and to give national visa authorities greater discretion.

A Euractiv source in diplomatic circles stated that the scope of the ban had been narrowed to short-term visas, and the criteria—from general participation in the war to active participation in combat operations or support for military operations.

Euractiv notes that in 2025, the number of visas issued to russian citizens increased by 10.2% compared to 2024. France, Italy, and Spain led in the number of visas issued.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on June 9, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that a proposal had been made to include in the new package of sanctions against russia a ban on entry into the EU for russian military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine.