EU Entry Ban on Russians May Bring Down Iron Curtain on Europe: AfD Leader
© AP Photo / Lionel Cironneau
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A blanket ban on Russian tourists wishing to travel to the European Union’s Schengen area may bring an end to freedom of movement and result in a new Iron Curtain, the co-leader of the German opposition AfD party told Sputnik.
"Freedom of movement and thus freedom to travel is considered a human right. One cannot simply exempt Russian citizens from this right. Such entry bans can quickly go beyond the cause of the war and result in a new Iron Curtain. We cannot permit that," Tino Chrupalla, who heads the AfD faction in the German Bundestag, said.
Calls have been mounting for the European Commission to ban Russian tourists from entering the EU’s borderless area in response to the Russian special operation in Ukraine. France and Germany have so far refused to back Baltic and some central European states on their initiative.
Chrupalla argued that the Schengen Visa Code did not provide for simply stopping the issuance of short-term visas. He admitted that Schengen rules gave European member states more leeway for politically motivated restrictions on long-term visas.
The co-leader of the German opposition AfD party said it will make sure that Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not row back on his pledge to oppose a blanket ban on Russian tourists after several EU member states suggested stopping issuing Schengen visas to Russians.
"The continent of Europe must not be divided. We will put pressure on Chancellor Scholz to stick to his position this time and not give in to pressure from the Greens and FDP warmongers again," Tino Chrupalla said.
Scholz said on Monday that Germany did not hold the people of Russia responsible for the military operation in Ukraine and would not make it more difficult for dissidents to leave the country. Chrupalla, who heads the AfD faction in the German Bundestag, said his party rejected travel bans.
Germany and France are some of the most prominent holdouts in the European Union. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and the Czech Republic have been calling for a Schengen-wide ban on Russian travelers after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed the move. EU foreign ministers will discuss visas as part of a new sanctions package on August 31.
"Ukraine, together with the notorious war lobbyists in the West, will try to urge other states to take this step as well. Apparently, Germany and France are opposed to a Schengen-wide entry ban for Russian citizens… My hope rests on Hungary, which has acted in a sensible and sovereign way so far," Chrupalla said.
European bans on issuing visas to Russians will escalate tensions with the EU’s eastern neighbor and complicate the Ukrainian peace process, Chrupalla said.
“This step stokes anti-Russian sentiment and contradicts the customs of civilized countries. I fear that it will fuel the escalation and make peace negotiations even more difficult,” Tino Chrupalla said.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and the Czech Republic have announced curbs on travel for Russian citizens. Estonia will stop all Russians with Estonian-issued Schengen visas from entering this week, while Finland will cut the number of tourist visas issued to Russians to 10% of the current amount from September.
Chrupalla called the restrictions an attempt to “make Russian citizens collectively liable for the war.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far resisted calls from the Baltic nations and Finland to back an EU-wide ban on Russian travelers.
Chrupalla called the restrictions an attempt to “make Russian citizens collectively liable for the war.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far resisted calls from the Baltic nations and Finland to back an EU-wide ban on Russian travelers.
