“They must understand the consequences”: Shmyhal calls on the EU not to give visas to Russians ,
Denis Shmyhal .
KYIV. UkraineGate . 5. September . 2022 | Society.
The European Union should completely stop issuing visas to Russians. Also, the civilized world should increase sanctions pressure, including a full embargo on Russian gas and oil, and continue to help the Ukrainian army. This was emphasized by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in an interview with Politico .
Details
The head of the Cabinet of Ministers, on the occasion of the working visit of the government team to Berlin and Brussels, said that while Russia is waging a terrorist war, visas should be stopped or suspended.
Shmyhal rejected the EU’s previous first move on Russian visas, when foreign ministers agreed to suspend a 2007 visa facilitation agreement with Russia – a move that would make the visa process more burdensome and expensive, but not abolish it entirely.
Quote
“This is not enough. We believe that not only should there be no so-called visa application, but stricter sanctions should be imposed on tourists and students. Instead of tourists or students going to Europe to enjoy life or study, they should stay in their the country and tell your neighbors, relatives, and those around you how Europe really sees Russia. This should be like a cold shower for the entire Russian society – to make it understand the consequences of what they are doing in Ukraine,” Shmyhal added.
When asked whether ordinary Russians and students should be punished for Putin’s war in Ukraine, the Prime Minister noted that 85% of Russians support the Russian invasion.
“People should know that by supporting Putin and his aggression, they should pay for this support,” he concluded.
Shmyhal also called on the EU to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation and to continue supplying arms to Ukraine.
“We would like to press for a complete and total embargo on oil and gas for the Russian Federation. We understand that the economy in the EU is really dependent on Russian energy sources. We understand that these are difficult decisions, but we also understand that by imposing an embargo on oil and gas in Russia, we will help reduce the Russian budget and give them less opportunities to finance their terrorist activities and genocidal war against Ukraine,” he summarized.
Let’s add
The Georgian opposition parliamentary party “Woe for Georgia” demands a visa regime for citizens of Russia and Belarus due to their mass entry into the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Ukrgate
