Leaders of eight EU countries call on EU officials to ban Russian military personnel from entering Schengen Area

Eight EU member states have appealed to EU officials to ban Russian veterans and active-duty military personnel who fought against Ukraine from entering the Schengen Area.

According to Ukrinform, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda reported this on the social media X.

Nausėda stated that he and the leaders of Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Romania, and Sweden had appealed to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning of the threat posed by former and current Russian combatants entering the EU.

“We believe that one of the most serious and persistent risks is the potential movement of former and currently active Russian combatants into the Schengen Area. Any entry of such individuals may have serious consequences for the security of all EU Member States. Therefore, decisive and coordinated action is urgently required to prevent negative consequences,” Nausėda wrote.

As reported by Ukrinform, Lithuania plans to ban Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine from entering the country.

In January, Estonia imposed an entry ban on 261 individuals who participated in the war against Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation. In February, Estonia imposed an entry ban on an additional 1,073 individuals.