Germany and France warned it would be counter-productive to ban ordinary Russians, a move advocated by Kyiv in response to Russia’s invasion and backed by some EU members, and the agreement’s suspension was a compromise that could be reached at the ministers’ two-day meeting in Prague.
In their joint memo, France and Germany said: “We caution against far-reaching restrictions on our visa policy, in order to prevent feeding the Russian narrative and trigger unintended rallying-around the flag effects and/or estranging future generations.” “If all 27 EU countries fail to reach an agreement, a regional solution for the countries most affected by the flow of Russian tourists may be sought in the future,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.