The head of the Senate Committee on Foreign Policy, Defense and Security, Pavlo Fischer, and the head of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, Marek Jenishek, supported the idea of EU countries stopping the issuance of visas to all citizens of the Russian Federation. This is reported by Chech Radio.
"Requesting a visa and being able to travel to Schengen countries is a privilege for citizens of Russia, a country that engages in military aggression and nuclear terrorism at the Zaporizhia NPP. It is a shame how much money Russians, whose assets may have criminal origins, spend on luxury goods " in Berlin and Paris. I also consider it shameful that some EU countries still offer large investors from Russia to obtain citizenship or a residence permit. This must stop! By the way, the housing they invested in in the Czech Republic must be carefully taxed." - emphasized Fisher.
According to the senator, limiting the issuance of visas to Russians is a completely natural step. Fischer believes that Russians who need help can ask for asylum or international protection in the Czech Republic.
"I have been in favor of this for a long time. It should have been one of the first sanctions. It is absurd to support the killing of women and children in Ukraine, and then go to the EU to have fun and laugh at us for being stupid," commented Marek Jenishek on the proposal to stop issuing visas.
A number of Czech senators and parliamentarians expressed their support for the proposal.
The head of the European Committee of the Czech Parliament, Ondřej Benesík, advocated the introduction of the same visa regime for Russians that operates in the Czech Republic into the EU. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Czech Republic completely stopped issuing short-term visas to Russians, with the exception of humanitarian ones.
As the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipovsky reported, the Czech Republic, which holds the position of the head of the Council of the European Union this year, is in favor of ending the issuance of visas to Russians in EU countries.
This issue will be discussed by EU ministers on August 31 during a meeting in Prague.