Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in an interview with the Washington Post that closing the borders to Russian tourists is “the most important sanction.”

Zelensky demands such a decision if Russia continues to annex new Ukrainian territories. According to him, Russians should “live in their own world until they change their philosophy.”

The Kyiv-based leader told The Post on Monday that the sanctions already imposed on Russia for its unprovoked war in Ukraine are “weak” compared to closing its borders to Russian citizens for a year and a full embargo on purchases of Russian energy.

Russian airlines have been banned from flying over most of Europe and North America, making it difficult for Russians to travel abroad. But there is no complete ban, as proposed by Zelenskyi; Russian citizens are still free to apply for a visa, for example, to visit the United States.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters on Monday that, in her opinion, it is necessary to limit the issuance of tourist visas to Russians and called for a ban on it at the level of the European Union.

Some critics argued that banning all Russians would unfairly affect those who left their country because they disagreed with the government of President Vladimir Putin and his decision to attack Ukraine.

Zelensky said that such differences do not matter: “Whatever Russians they are, force them to go to Russia.”

“Then they’ll understand,” he said. “They will say:It [război] it has nothing to do with us. You can’t hold the entire population accountable, can you?“. It is possible. The population elected this government and they do not fight with it, do not argue, do not shout,” the Ukrainian president said.

“You don’t want this isolation?” – added Zelensky, as if addressing the Russians directly. “Tell the whole world that they must live by your rules. Then go and live there. This is the only way to influence Putin.”

Latvia will no longer issue visas to Russian citizens, the Latvian embassy in Moscow announced on Friday, citing Russia’s war against Ukraine, DPA reports.

From now on, visa applications will be accepted only from Russian citizens who wish to attend the funeral of a close relative in Latvia, the embassy announced on Twitter.

And Finland’s foreign minister on Thursday unveiled a plan to limit tourist visas for the growing number of Russians traveling to the Scandinavian country to transit to other European countries, AFP reports. Flights from Russia to the EU were suspended after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24.

Thus, Finland, which has a long border with Russia, has become an important transit country for Russian travelers.

“Referendums” and confiscation of housing

Russian occupation officials may be speeding up preparations for illegitimate pseudo-referendums on Moscow’s annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports in its latest assessment.

According to ISW, the Russian occupation authorities also intend to eliminate the possibility of in-person voting at polling stations by switching to “door-to-door voting”. This move is apparently intended to allow direct intimidation of Ukrainian civilians and vote fraud. get the result the Kremlin wants.

The head of the government established by the Russians in the occupied territories of the Zaporizhia region in southern Ukraine officially announced on Monday the holding of a referendum on joining Russia, without specifying its date yet.

Previously, pro-Russian authorities in all occupied territories, as well as separatists in two separatist regions in the east of Ukraine, talked about holding such referendums, but did not make an official statement on this matter.

In addition, Russia is beginning to openly talk about the nationalization of the houses of Ukrainians in the occupied territories.

“A clear legal framework is needed for seizing foreign property, especially Ukrainian property, in Russia and in the liberated territories of Ukraine. This issue should be discussed in detail with the government in the fall,” said Andriy Klishas, ​​head of the committee on constitutional legislation of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Moscow parliament.

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