The European Union moves to restrict visas to Russians, but does not ban them.

European foreign ministers agreed on Wednesday, August 31 2022 to suspend an agreement with Russia that made it easier for Russians to receive visas to travel to the European Union. The suspension of the previous agreement will now make visas for Russians more expensive, require more paperwork, and involve long delays. This new decision was actually somewhat of a compromise between the ministers, as countries including Poland, the Czech Republic, and Finland all argued for a complete ban of Russian tourists from the European Union. The goal of making it more difficult for Russians to obtain visas is to show Europe’s disagreement with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, the foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles made it clear that individual countries can still choose how to control their own borders, and since then the Czech Republic and numerous other countries have stopped issuing visas to Russian travellers. While Russians are now facing increased restrictions and delays, Borrell stated, “We don’t want to cut ourselves off from those Russians who are against the war in Ukraine.”

Overall, I think this is a newsworthy topic. This article brings attention to how the war on Ukraine is impacting almost all aspects of life, not just Ukrainians and Russian soldiers. Due to the suspension of the agreement, it is now difficult for Russians who oppose the war to escape their country. While I feel sympathy for people in this situation, I also understand the European Union’s decision and see that they are actively opposing the Russian invasion. In my opinion, this was a well-written article that got straight to the point. Based on the tone of the article, it seems that the intended audience is people that are sympathetic for and side with Ukraine in this conflict. This is implied because there are no statements made to sympathize with Russians after this new decision. I think the author did a great job in bringing light to a decision that I am sure many people were unaware of. Even though this article was just published, I think it would be interesting to see an update that describes Putin’s response to the European Union.