The Russian authorities have said that the clarifications provided by the Commission of the EU on the earlier ban on bringing goods from Russia into the EU have proved that the bloc is discriminating against ordinary Russian citizens.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the direct air travel ban, the tightening of visa rules, and now the clarifications on sanctions are making it impossible for Russians to enter the EU.
Further commenting on the most recent clarifications on sanctions by the Commission, the Ministry said it is clear that the EU want to drop an ‘Iron Curtain’ and keep people-to-people contacts to a minimum.
We view this as a deliberate action by the European Commission aimed at introducing legal ambiguity and a blatant provocation of the EU member states to step up discrimination against Russians based on their nationality.
Apart from criticising the EU, the Ministry once again called on all its citizens to carefully assess all risks when planning to visit the bloc.
It suggested that all Russians planning to reach the EU pay close attention to all notices and make sure to follow the rules to avoid any type of inconvenience.
The Commission confirmed earlier this month that Russians are banned from taking many personal items when travelling to the bloc, including personal cars, smartphones, soaps, and toilet paper, among others.
Moreover, it explained that the ban covers all vehicles that have Russian licence plates, with the duration of the car’s stay in the EU being irrelevant.
Following the clarifications of the Commission, Estonia and Finland decided to introduce entry restrictions for Russians.
Last week, Estonia decided to no longer permit entry for vehicles with Russian licence plates.
Announcing the decision, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, said that Russians are not welcome to the country to enjoy the privileges the freedom has to offer.
The ban, which became effective on September 13, does not apply only to private vehicles but also to company transport operations, the Estonian authorities explained.
Similarly, Finland has also introduced an entry ban for all cars with Russian-registered vehicles. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the decision had been taken in line with the Commission’s clarifications.
In addition, the authority stressed that the ban will apply to everyone except for citizens of the EU permanently residing in Russia, diplomats, and those travelling for humanitarian purposes.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have also implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian licence plates.
