Overview
- After the 29 January meeting of EU foreign ministers, Kaja Kallas said many member states support exploring a Schengen entry ban for people who fought for Russia in Ukraine.
- Estonia argues returning combatants pose security risks and has already denied entry to 261 identified fighters this month.
- The European Commission’s visa strategy published on 29 January references potential future limits on visas for identified former and current combatants of the aggressor state.
- Officials note implementation hurdles, including how to reliably identify eligible individuals and satisfy evidentiary standards across different national systems.
- Tallinn casts the proposal as part of broader efforts to pressure Russia, linking it to work on the EU’s 20th sanctions package.