The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, did not support the idea of a complete ban on visas for Russians. He is quoted by RIA Novosti.
“I think that banning all Russians from entering is not a good idea. We need to be more selective,” he said at an international conference in Santander (Spain).
In early August, WP published an article quoting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called on Western countries to restrict entry for Russians. After that, Estonia closed the borders for the inhabitants of Russia, but promised that it would still make "some exceptions." The German chancellor said that he could hardly imagine such a ban, because the Russian authorities are responsible for the war in Ukraine.
After some time, Zelensky clarified his words: he acknowledged that in Russia “there are people who really need protection” and they can claim help “through refugee, through requests for asylum, through other opportunities to help and support.”
Earlier, the European Commission issued a statement that a complete ban on the issuance of tourist visas to Russians is impossible.