EU countries will independently regulate the issuance of visas to Russians and will be able to make separate decisions, not influenced by the collective EU, on access restrictions for citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s minister of foreign affairs: “If the European Union does not agree to ban the issuance of tourist visas to Russians, Lithuanian officials will consider proposing to do so at the regional level.” Other countries that may join this decision are Poland, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. Their territories serve as main transit routes for Russian and Belarusian travelers.
Landsbergis emphasized that refugee visas will continue to be issued to persons persecuted by the Russian or Belarusian regime, as well as to their family members.