Germany urges EU to restrict tourist visas for Russians — The Guardian

The German Foreign Ministry is currently actively addressing this issue.

German law enforcement agencies are investigating the possible involvement of a Belarusian citizen, who also holds Russian citizenship, in the alleged planning of an attack on a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig Airport.

In light of recent events, German authorities have concluded that the scale of visa issuance is inconsistent with the spirit of the sanctions imposed due to Russia's war against Ukraine. They also believe that the significant influx of Russian tourists complicates efforts to monitor who exactly is entering the EU and for what purpose.

Roderich Kiesewetter, a representative of the CDU and one of the party’s leading experts on foreign and security policy, has called on the European Union to immediately suspend the issuance of tourist visas to Russians.

He considers this practice unjustified both from a security standpoint and on moral grounds.

In his view, the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens should be reduced to an absolute minimum.

"This excessive issuance of tourist visas to Russians contradicts the European strategy of isolating Russia,” he said. “It creates a false impression of normalisation for wealthy Russians, precisely those who benefit from the Kremlin's reign of terror," Kiesewetter states.

On September 1, Germany officially accused Russia of attacking Leipzig Airport.

Additionally, Berlin is preparing a large-scale plan to retaliate against Russia with Ukraine's participation.