Former Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. File photoMOSCOW, Aug 16Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call to stop issuing visas to Russians could lead to a split in the EU, former Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja tweeted. In his opinion, the disunity of the EU countries on this issue will play into the hands of Moscow. «When considering the issue of a visa regime for Russians, it is important for the European Union to come to a unified position. Violation of unity will only play into the hands of Putin,» Tuomioja said. to all citizens of Russia. «I consider the German line more justified than the Estonian line,» the Finnish politician added. Earlier, Zelensky called on EU countries to ban all Russians from entering for one year. A week later, the Ukrainian leader changed his rhetoric: he again called for a ban on entry to Russian citizens, but to make exceptions for opponents of the country's government. In the European Union, these words caused controversy: they were supported by several politicians, in particular the Baltic ones. Thus, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that it is necessary to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians, and called visiting Europe «a privilege, not a human right.» Some representatives of Western European countries noted that this is contrary to EU rules.
