EU toughens visa rules for Russian travellers


The European Union has adopted stricter visa rules for Russian nationals in light of what it calls the “weaponisation of migration, acts of sabotage and potential misuse of visas”.

Russian nationals will no longer be eligible for multiple-entry visas and must apply for a new visa each time they travel to the EU, a statement from the European Commission read. It said the aim was to protect public policy and security.

There will be limited exceptions for dissidents, independent journalists and human rights defenders. “Starting a war and expecting to move freely in Europe is hard to justify,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X.

“The EU is tightening visa rules for Russian nationals amid continued drone disruptions and sabotage on European soil. Travelling to the EU is a privilege, not a given.”

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Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his top officials on Wednesday to draft proposals for a possible test of nuclear weapons, something Moscow has not done since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

The order – responding to President Donald Trump’s announcement last week that the U.S. would resume testing – was a further signal that the two countries with the world’s largest nuclear arsenals are rapidly nearing a step that could sharply escalate geopolitical tensions.

“I am instructing the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry… the special services and relevant civilian agencies to do everything possible to collect additional information on the issue, analyse it at the Security Council and make agreed proposals on the possible start of work on the preparation of nuclear weapons tests,” Putin said in televised remarks.





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