The prohibition of Schengen visas for the Russians was supported

The Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky supported a complete ban on the Schengen visas for Russian citizens. In Novinky's comment, he stated that his country repeatedly raised the issue of prohibition on the issuance of visas for Russians at meetings in Brussels at the level of the Foreign Minister and Prime Ministers. The Czech Minister recalled that the Czech Republic was the first to ban the issuance of Russian citizens because of aggression against Ukraine.

"During the Russian aggression, which still changes its stated borders, there can be no language about tourism for Russian citizens," Lipavsky stressed. The minister added that the issue of prohibition of visas for Russians also concerns European security because of the influence of the Kremlin's special services in Europe.

"We are convinced that suspension of visa issuance to ordinary citizens of Russia will give a very clear and direct signal to the society that the Western world intends to tolerate the aggression of the Russian regime and hateful rhetoric against free democratic countries that are not threatened by Russia," - summed up minister. The Czech Republic stopped issuing visas to the Russians on February 25 the next day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.