Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday regarded Brussels’ proposal to restrict visas for Russian citizens as “an important step”, stressing that “Europe is not a place for murderers and for those who support them to roam”.
In addition to being a moral issue, “it is also an elementary security issue” because “Russia has repeatedly sent assassins to Europe, disguised as ordinary tourists,” Zelensky said, during his usual late-night address to the nation.
“You have admired Salisbury’s spire enough [Inglaterra], German streets and warehouses with weapons in the Czech Republic. He comes. Europe is not a place of leisure for murderers and those who support them”, added the Ukrainian head of state.
The European Commission proposed this Tuesday the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement between the European Union (EU) and Russia, after the political agreement reached by the heads of diplomacy on the 27th at the end of August.
The suspension of the agreement, which has been in force since 2007, means that Russian citizens will no longer enjoy facilities when applying for a short-stay visa to the Schengen area of free movement, and the general rules of the code of visas. Apply.
In parallel, the European Commission on Tuesday also proposed a common EU approach to non-recognition of Russian passports issued in foreign-occupied regions, as Russia currently extends the practice of issuing common Russian passports to areas on Ukrainian territory under its control. in particular the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions (in the south of Ukraine).
While the Brussels decision is “an important step”, Zelensky stressed that this “is not a total visa ban”, but “shows the citizens of the terrorist state that they bear some moral responsibility for the aggression against Ukraine and all of Europe.” “.
“I thank the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and all European leaders who support visa restrictions for Russian citizens,” the Ukrainian official added.
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of more than 13 million people -more than six million internally displaced persons and more than seven million to neighboring countries-, according to the latest UN data. , which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion -justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security- was condemned by the generality of the international community, which has responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing Russia since political and economic point of view. sanctions
The UN presented as confirmed since the beginning of the war, which today entered its 195th day, 5,718 civilian deaths and 8,199 wounded, stressing that these figures are well below the real ones.
Source: TSF
