A coalition of eleven European countries — nine EU member states plus Iceland and Norway — is intensifying efforts to impose stricter visa conditions on Russian tourists, arguing that leisure travel from Russia undermines the bloc's stance on the war in Ukraine and poses security threats.
The initiative, spearheaded by Sweden, includes Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Poland. In a joint letter addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Internal Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner, the signatories call for binding restrictions to replace the current, unevenly applied guidelines.
“What I want to accomplish is very clear. I want there to be no more shopping weekends. I want no more fancy trips to Europe while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield,” said Johan Forssell, Sweden's Minister for Migration and Asylum, ahead of the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.
Fragmented Enforcement Weakens EU Leverage
The letter notes that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Commission issued guidelines on handling visa applications from Russian nationals. However, the signatories argue that implementation across member states remains inconsistent, undermining both solidarity and economic fairness. “This fragmentation weakens EU leverage and sends mixed messages about the bloc's resolve towards Russia,” the letter states, particularly as Moscow continues offensives against civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine.
The coalition also warns that uneven visa practices create security risks across the Schengen area, especially given the movement of hundreds of thousands of Russian military personnel. They cite Schengen Barometer data showing a steady increase in visas issued to Russian nationals between 2023 and 2025. France issued nearly 180,000 visas in 2025, a sharp rise from the previous year; Italy followed with almost 160,000, despite a slight decline; and Spain issued roughly 100,000, stable year-on-year.
Opponents of the initiative counter that the numbers simply reflect the larger size of these countries' consular operations. They also reject the notion that tourist visas undermine EU action, pointing out that individuals responsible for the war are already under sanctions. The debate echoes broader tensions within the bloc over how to balance pressure on Moscow with the practicalities of visa processing.
The eleven countries are calling on EU institutions to introduce new, binding visa restrictions, monitor the effective implementation of existing guidelines, provide member states with regular aggregated statistics, and develop a mechanism to identify former Russian combatants. The issue was raised during Thursday's ministerial meeting but was not formally on the agenda, and no decision was taken. The coalition now seeks a formal proposal from the EU to restart the debate.
This push comes amid heightened security concerns across Europe, as Russian drone attacks intensify in Ukraine and EU diplomacy is tested by incursions. The coalition's stance also reflects a broader effort to tighten the screws on Moscow, with France detaining a tanker linked to Iranian networks moving Russian oil and other measures targeting Russian assets.
