Lithuania backs EU-wide entry ban for Russians who fought in Ukraine

Lithuania has expressed support for a European Union proposal to bar Russian soldiers who have fought in Ukraine from entering the bloc, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys announced on Monday.

"We must reduce the number of visas issued and, more importantly, completely bar those who have participated in the carnage in Ukraine," Budrys said ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.

The proposed ban would form part of a new package of EU sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. Budrys said a consensus among member states had not yet been reached, but that Lithuania was already conducting technical work by registering such individuals in the Schengen Information System.

Lithuania has placed nearly 900 Russian citizens who took part in hostilities against Ukraine on its persona non grata lists, barring them from entering Lithuania and the wider Schengen area.

The minister also called on member states to tighten visa policies towards Russia more broadly, warning that the number of Schengen visas issued to Russian citizens had begun rising again in 2025 despite the ongoing war.

He said maintaining Russia's international isolation was becoming increasingly difficult due to growing tourist travel and diverging positions among EU members.

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