Baltic states and Poland will close their border to Russian tourists. The only land border for Russian tourists to enter the EU will be Finnish border.
Finland’s refusal to join the Baltic-Polish approach has sparked heated discussion in Finland.
Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have imposed the new restrictions, stating they would not accept Russians while their country was still in conflict with Ukraine.
The four countries said the border closures were “not an outright entry ban and commonly agreed legitimate exceptions will remain in force for dissidents, humanitarian cases,” and some other circumstances, including Russian diplomatic missions and familial links.
However, Finland has decided to remain open, though it has cut back the number of consular appointments available to Russian travelers seeking visas.
The EU has banned all flights from Russia, leaving only rail and road transport links available, and this month it agreed to limit issuing free travel Schengen zone visas.
“One country grants a visa, another one denies it. That’s certainly not very desirable for the system,” Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto said last week.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas expressed her frustration over the divisions within the EU, warning that many Russian travelers will now head for the Finnish border.
“There is a loophole, and the loophole is Finland,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said at the weekend. “So it’s not entirely effective… but it’s still better than nothing,” she added. “I hope that, sooner rather than later, they will have to do this as well.”
