Ban on entry of Russians into Poland and the Baltic states comes into force

This was reported by the head of the government of Estonia, Kaia Kallas, ERR informs.

"Together with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, we decided to jointly limit tourism opportunities for Russian citizens in order to protect public order and security. It is now impossible to guarantee that Russian tourists arriving through Estonia to the EU do not pose a security risk," - said the Prime Minister's statement.

The Prime Minister noted that trips to the European Union are "a privilege that does not belong to human rights." "The regional agreement has been reached, now we will continue to work to ensure that the ban on tourism for Russian citizens begins to apply throughout the European Union," the statement said.

The restriction does not apply to all citizens of the Russian Federation. Russians can cross the border to visit family members or people living in the Schengen area with whom they raise common minor children. The exception will apply to diplomats, citizens of Russia who have been issued a short-term visa and are registered for work, for holders of a short-term study visa, as well as for workers in the field of international freight and passenger transportation. As an exception, people will also be allowed into the country for humanitarian reasons, including dissidents.

Until Monday, Russian citizens could visit Europe by land only through the Baltic countries and Finland, and from Monday they will be able to only through Finland, which refused to support the Baltic countries and Poland in this decision, and will act as the EU decides. However, the president of Finland proposes to cancel the simplified visa regime for Russians who buy real estate in the country.

"Of course, this will increase the burden on the Finnish authorities. We would like Finland to join us, but this has not been done now. This decision is necessary to protect public order," Kallas added.