In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued that Western nations should prohibit entry by Russians, calling it the most effective response to what he described as a foreign incursion and labeling existing sanctions as insufficient. He also suggested that a full-year embargo on Russian energy resources would help confront the Russian Federation.
“The strongest sanctions are the closing of borders because Russians are occupying foreign lands”, Zelensky stated. He added that Russians should live in their own world until their governing philosophy changes. He contended that isolating Russia could allow the world to account for the Russian population as a whole, arguing that it does not matter whether individual Russians support the conduct of the operation in Ukraine. “If the Russians go to Russia, the entire population can be held responsible because the people chose this government and are not opposing it”, he asserted.
He asserted that telling the world to live by Moscow’s rules means, in his view, that Russia should be invited to live by those rules abroad as well, a point he linked to Vladimir Putin. Zelensky also argued that banning Russian planes from overflight by several countries is ineffective because Russians can still apply for visas to the United States and many other nations, allowing relatively unhindered travel.
Hitler and the idea of collective responsibility
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, responded to Zelensky by invoking the historical charge of collective responsibility, drawing a provocative parallel with Adolf Hitler. Medvedev criticized Zelensky for proposing to account for the entire population of Russia, suggesting that such ideas echo actions once pursued by Nazi Germany. He posed a pointed question about the nature of Ukrainian power and the broader implications of collective accountability.
Westward visa restrictions on Russian citizens
During August a series of measures by European states surfaced regarding Russian travelers. Finland began considering restrictions on transit tourism for Russians using Schengen visas to reach other European destinations, citing the abuse of transit arrangements following the suspension of direct flights between Russia and the EU. Finnish officials indicated that a new visa policy could be introduced, potentially reducing the number of visas issued as negotiations with the government progressed.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin and other Finnish authorities acknowledged that Finland does not possess the means to halt Russian travel to the rest of the EU entirely. Latvia announced an indefinite halt on issuing visas to Russian citizens, with the only exception being funerals of close relatives. Estonia proposed further isolation by stopping Schengen visa issuance for Russians as part of a broader set of EU sanctions. Poland expressed support for tightening visa policies for Russians, including the possible termination of Schengen visas.
Reports from Yle, citing Finnish officials, indicated that Finland was weighing options to restrict tourism flow from Russia in light of Ukrainian events. These options included revoking previously issued visas or limiting future visa issuance in a manner that would align with EU rules while aiming to curb travel. On another front, Estonia announced restrictions preventing Russian citizens from obtaining temporary residence permits or visas for educational purposes. The changes also limited short term employment for Russians and Belarusians with residence permits issued by another EU member, and the possibility of long term work visas for short term employment was curtailed.
Since February, the European Union had suspended its simplified visa regime with Russia, a move that affected processing for officials and entrepreneurs. The evolving landscape reflects a broader effort among EU member states to reassess travel policies in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.