Russia is setting up retaliatory visa measures to stop the entry of people from ‘unfriendly’ nations. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the Putin regime is coming up with restrictions amidst the war with Ukraine.
Russia retaliates with new visa measures
On Monday, the Russian foreign minister declared that it is expelling three diplomats from Slovakia. The move is following the expulsion of three Russian diplomats earlier this month for espionage. Additionally, Slovakia has taken several people as refugees from Ukraine. “A draft presidential decree is being developed on retaliatory visa measures in response to the “unfriendly” actions of several foreign states,” stated Lavrov. “This act will introduce several restrictions on entry into Russia,” stated the minister. () However, he did not elaborate.
Following the sanctions imposed by the West, Moscow is expanding the list of unfriendly nations. The list now includes the US, Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand. It also included all EU member nations among others. Russian carriers are not welcome in the EU airspace. Moreover, traveling to Russia from the UK, EU, and the US is very difficult. The new visa ban for people from ‘unfriendly’ nations can make it next to impossible.
Russia-Ukraine conflict and new developments
Additionally, Lavrov insisted on “demilitarisation and the denazification of Ukraine”. According to him, this was essential. Demanding that Ukraine “stop assimilating itself with the West, with NATO, in the military sense”. “Stop being a country that is continually being militarized and where they try to deploy offensive weapons threatening Russia,” explained Lavrov. In between the efforts of peace talks in Istanbul, the Russian foreign ministry stated that direct talk between the two presidents would be ‘counterproductive’. President Putin last met the Ukrainian president in 2019 in Paris.
Following the exodus, several top companies from Russia, including beer makers Carlsberg, and Heineken also announced their exit. Several top brands such as Starbucks, Goldman Sachs, McDonald’s, and Ikea are pulling out from Russia. “We are deeply saddened to watch the war in Ukraine continue to unfold and intensify. We have concluded that Heineken’s ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment,” stated Heineken.
