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Sweden and 10 States Push EU Retain Russian Visa Limits

6/4/2026

50 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Sweden and ten other states wrote to EU chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner urging tourist-visa rules for Russians.
477,878 Schengen visas were issued to Russian tourists in 2025, up from 440,558 in 2024.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania limit Russian visas to humanitarian cases and seek a blacklist of Russian war veterans.
The EU suspended its visa-facilitation pact with Russia and cut visas to half a million in 2024.

History

Historical Context

After the EU and Russia began visa-free talks in May 2010, the dialogue froze in March 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, prompting the EU’s first coordinated travel ban that barred 89 Russian officials from Schengen entry. Since then the Baltic states and Sweden have pressed EU leaders Kaja Kallas and Commissioner Magnus Brunner to tighten tourist-visa rules, extending the sanction toolbox.

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Story summary

Sweden and ten other states wrote to EU chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner urging tourist-visa rules for Russians.
477,878 Schengen visas were issued to Russian tourists in 2025, up from 440,558 in 2024.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania limit Russian visas to humanitarian cases and seek a blacklist of Russian war veterans.
The EU suspended its visa-facilitation pact with Russia and cut visas to half a million in 2024.

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