EU Moves to Tighten Russian Visas as Summer Travel Looms

A coalition of 11 states—nine EU members plus Iceland and Norway—led by Sweden, urged the EU to tighten Russian visa rules ahead of the summer season, arguing uneven implementation of EU guidelines weakens leverage against Moscow and could threaten Schengen security. The letter calls for binding visa restrictions, better monitoring, regular aggregated statistics, and a mechanism to identify former Russian combatants, citing rising visa numbers in France, Italy and Spain. Opponents say visa totals reflect processing differences among larger member states, and no formal decision was reached at a Luxembourg meeting, with ministers only discussing restarting the debate.