Russians will not be allowed to freely enter Ukraine after war, FM says
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Getty Images)
Russian citizens will be subject to special restrictive procedures for entering Ukraine even after the war ends. Russia will remain a source of threat, so border controls will not be eased, stated Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha at the joint press conference with Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár.
Current rules and what will change
As the minister noted, citizens of Russia currently face a strict screening process. Russians have no possibility of freely entering Ukrainian territory.
"For us, Russia is a hostile country, an aggressor state. A Russian citizen cannot enter Ukraine without a special permit, a visa, or verification or filtration by all our relevant services. Therefore, I do not see such a threat at this time," Sybiha said in response to a question about the risks of mass migration of Russians after the war.
The minister assured that strict security measures will continue in the future. Special restrictive procedures will be applied to Russian citizens, which are already being developed and implemented.
Europe seals borders with Russia
European countries have recently significantly strengthened security measures due to the Kremlin’s aggressive policy. In particular, Germany presented its first-ever military strategy in which Russia is officially recognized as the main security threat in Europe.
The new Berlin concept envisions the creation of the strongest conventional army on the continent, with at least 460,000 German soldiers who must be ready to repel possible aggression from Russia.
At the same time, the Baltic states are moving toward practical reinforcement of their borders. Latvia has begun installing the so-called dragon's teeth barriers and anti-tank trenches along the entire border with Russia as part of the construction of the Baltic defense line.
Strict restrictions are also in place in Northern Europe. Finland keeps its border checkpoints closed and will reopen the border with Russia only after clear guarantees from the Kremlin that Moscow will stop using illegal migrants as a hybrid weapon.
Meanwhile, Russia itself is attempting to create propaganda narratives around border policy. In particular, officials in Moscow have spoken about the need to open a crossing point with Ukraine for family reunification, claiming that Russian citizens in Ukraine cannot leave via third countries due to expired passports.
