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Baltic and Nordic States Move to Ban Schengen Entry for Russians Participating in War Against Ukraine

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Baltic and Nordic States Move to Ban Schengen Entry for Russians Participating in War Against Ukraine
A sign indicating the Polish border is seen close to the Slovakian border in Chyzne, Poland, on October 2, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)

Interior ministers from the Baltic states, Nordic countries, and Poland, who met in Tallinn on June 19, issued a joint statement reaffirming plans to block entry into the Schengen area for Russian citizens who took part in the aggression against Ukraine, Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR reported.

The high-level meeting was also attended by Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, and a representative of the EU border agency Frontex.

“There are hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens who have fought against an independent European country, and we should take a very clear stance that these people cannot travel freely in Schengen — we will not grant them residence permits, we will not grant them visas, because this whole group, which has killed and destroyed there, poses a very serious security threat to all of us,” said Estonia’s Interior Minister, Igor Taro.

The ministers stressed that the entry ban for individuals involved in the aggression should remain in place even after active hostilities end.

On June 19, it was reported that Denmark has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s accession to the European Union during its upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU.

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