Belarusian said to have had tourist visa issued by Italy is investigated over alleged attempt to attack Leipzig airport
Germany is urging its European partners to introduce tighter limitations on Russian citizens entering the EU on tourist visas, after recent sabotage attacks which Berlin has blamed on Moscow.
German authorities are investigating a Belarusian national, who also holds a Russian passport, over the alleged attempt to attack Leipzig airport using drones and explosives.
The man is alleged to have entered the Schengen area on a tourist visa issued by the Italian embassy in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Security sources said he did not appear to have ever travelled through Italy.
Germany’s foreign ministry has complained that too many visas were being issued to Russians.
Jfc they attempted to bomb civilian airports. State sponsored terrorism. Do everything you spineless fucks.
EU is fumbling response to this war from day 1. Always responding in the most calculated, spineless way. After 4 years they still didn’t issue any meaningful red lines. Just look at this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_lines_in_the_Russo-Ukrainian_war
NATO only announced two red lines with any consequences: “No murder and abduction of children” and “Not to interfere with civilian ships belonging to NATO countries in the Black Sea”. Both crossed by 2023. That’s it.
For fuck sake. Announce that any terrorist attack on infrastructure inside EU will mean immediate cancellation of all tourist visas for Russian citizens. Let Putin cross it. Why it’s so hard for them to agree on things like that? I mean, I know why. Most of them don’t give a shit and the rest supports Putin.
Deport them into the sea
too Late!
Ban Russians until they give up on Ukraine.
Wait, why are any tourist visas being granted to citizens of a country waging war on them?
Germany has actually been on board with this for quite some time. The reason is simple: It’s an easy way in and out of Russia with all pros and cons it has.
It allows people to move out of Russia, but it also allows Russian spies to enter (more easily). It causes Russia to (hopefully) be similarly permissive with visas, allowing journalists and also western spies to enter their country.
The problem only starts where Russia is much more aggressive in their actions than Europe, in other words actively exploiting the ‘deal’.
If we’re looking beyond the scope of potential spies and saboteurs, there are plenty of families, friends, and even just normal people who travel abroad. Being abroad opens them up to seeing things from a perspective outside the one that is controlled and even enforced within Russia.
Furthermore, ordinary people’s view of EU (and other countries outside Russia) is part of many pieces of this conflict’s puzzle: Money leaving Russia, people seeing good things in EU in contrast to their own country, and Kremlin being less able to make statements like “this country is showing hostility” or “See? EU only cares about itself”.
And ultimately, we do not want to unnecessarily sour the international relations more than necessary, as it’s required in a lot of ways for talks about resolutions both during and after the war. Kremlin might not care about this, given the things they do, but they’re not looking very far ahead. If they did, they wouldn’t wage war in the first place.
Some Russian nationals are already residents of other countries
Because some countries in the EU rely on tourism for their finances and do not want to risk reducing that income, even if it concerns only a small number or Russians. Those countries have so far blocked proposals to stop granting visas.
Yep, just EU being EU. Everyone is looking at their own business. It’s incredible they manage to do anything done.
Because granting tourism visas is the default. What advantage would be gained by not giving them tourism visas?
Having fewer Russians traveling to your country. It’s not like Putin makes them get work visas when they’re trying to sabotage shit.
Having fewer Russians traveling to your country.
And?
It’s not like Putin makes them get work visas when they’re trying to sabotage shit.
Maybe he does, but in any case that’s not what I’m asking the parent commenter. My question is: Why would denying tourism visas to enemy civilians be, by default, a bad idea? Because that’s what they’re implying.
Meloni is on Putin’s payroll.
She slap him in the stomach as she did with trump
I don’t like her either but there is no evidence of that
No mention of the Maltese golden visa scheme, funny how that works.
Just do it…
Considering overall economic and political situation of Russia, someone from there who can just casually afford/allow themselves a vacation in Europe and then come back, is almost certainly a person one should not let in. 🌝
Meanwhile unto others… https://thecradle.co/articles-id/39755
