Two of the most famous Russian opponents of the Kremlin regime, former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and former chess champion Harry Kasparov, warned the European Union on Thursday about a general ban on entry into EU countries for Russian citizens, writes DPA.

A complete suspension of the issuance of tourist visas will also close the door for Russians who do not support the war in Ukraine, said two opponents in exile at a press conference in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, writes Agerpres with reference to DPA.

Khodorkovsky said such a measure would also determine Russia’s direction after the end of Vladimir Putin’s rule.

• “This will largely depend on what example the young generation of Russians will see. In order for this example to be European, we need to work with this young generation.
• We have to keep in touch with these Russians. We cannot push them away, because everything that will happen tomorrow on our common European continent depends on them,” said the former oligarch, who fell out of favor with the Kremlin.

On Wednesday, the EU decided to suspend the agreement with Moscow on the simplification of the visa regime as part of the sanctions adopted after the war that Russia started in Ukraine. The decision makes the process of obtaining a visa to the EU more difficult, expensive and bureaucratic, and will also increase the waiting time for obtaining a permit, but it is not a complete ban.

The move comes after weeks of pressure from EU countries bordering Russia to bar Russian citizens from entering the bloc with Schengen visas issued by some EU member states.

The Kremlin called the decision of the European Union to limit the visa regime for Russians “ridiculous”.

The Kremlin called the decision of the European Union to completely suspend the agreement on simplifying the visa regime for Russian citizens “ridiculous”, reports Reuters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov said on Thursday that Russia is studying options for responding to the decision.

• “It’s bad for Russians because it will take longer and harder to get a visa. This is another senseless decision in a continuous series of absurdities,” said Peskov.

He also said that the EU’s decision “will also make it difficult for Europeans”, noting that Moscow will respond in a way that “best suits its interests”.