The authorities of the Czech Republic, which presides over the EU in the second half of 2022, are consistent supporters of the ban on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens against the backdrop of an unmotivated large-scale military invasion of Ukraine and will seek to implement this measure.

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Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky announces his intention to push for a consensus on this issue at the EU Council meeting at the end of August. According to him, Russia "

Earlier, at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague, Lipavsky called the ban on the issuance of Schengen visas a "

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The issue of banning Schengen visas for Russians will be discussed at the end of August.

In an interview published on August 8 with The Washington Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to ban all Russians from entering its territory.. All previously imposed sanctions against Russia are " At the same time, Zelensky noted that this measure should also affect those Russians who left the country due to disagreement with the war in Ukraine.. " Then they will understand,"

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Meanwhile, Brussels pointed to the absence of a legal norm that would prohibit the issuance of short-term Schengen visas to foreigners, and ruled out a complete cessation of the issuance of visas to Russians as contrary to the norms of the European Union..

Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz during a recent press conference also spoke out against the ban on Russians from entering the EU.

However, the Czech Republic, together with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, has introduced severe restrictions on the issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation..

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