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European Union Plans to End Visa Agreement with Russia Over Ukraine War

The ban would make securing a tourist visa a much more expensive task for Russians.

The European Union is set to end its visa agreement with Russia after its monthslong war with Ukraine, a move that would make it much harder—and more expensive—for Russian tourists to travel to the region. The ban on tourist visas would overturn a 2007 agreement and be one of the most dramatic retaliations to the eastern violence, following threats by some EU members to close their borders to Russian tourists entirely. The move could be announced this week once EU foreign ministers gather for a meeting in Prague, according to the Financial Times. “It is inappropriate for Russian tourists to stroll in our cities, on our marinas,” a senior EU official involved in the talks told the Times. “We have to send a signal to the Russian population that this war is not OK, it is not acceptable.” Should the restrictions be put in place, it would require Russian tourists to provide many more documents before securing a visa, turning a once-mundane process into a time-consuming and expensive ordeal.