German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he is against the ban on tourist visas for Russians, DPA reported.

All about the topic:

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"This is Putin's war, so I find it very difficult to accept this idea," Scholz told reporters in Berlin. 

He used as an argument for this the "very wide-ranging sanctions" imposed on Russia because of the war against Ukraine.

The chancellor said that he believed the effectiveness of the sanctions would be weakened "if they were aimed at everyone, including innocent people". 

The governments of Estonia and Finland have called on other EU countries to ban tourist visas for Russians.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission today emphasized that a complete ban on tourist visas is not even possible under current legislation.

She said each application must be considered individually.

However, the European Commission sent guidelines to member states in May.

They state that applications can be rejected after individual consideration, for example because the person poses a threat to public order, internal security or international relations.

Scholz is convinced that Germany will successfully deal with the gas crisis

At the same time, EU member states must not violate international law, the spokeswoman said.

Some people need to get a visa for humanitarian reasons or because they are family members, journalists or dissidents.

Talks are currently underway at the EU level to disseminate information on recent developments and ensure that measures are coordinated, BTA notes.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

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