Finland’s Orpo to seek EU-wide halt to Russian tourist visas
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he would ask the European Council next week to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens. The proposal has not become an EU-wide decision.
Orpo outlined his intention in an interview with Yle. He wants European countries to follow the approach Finland has applied to Russian tourists since September 2022. Finland’s land border crossings with Russia have also been closed since December 2023.
In the same interview, he criticised a Russia-US diesel supply agreement. He said the agreed volume represented a small share of US consumption and questioned whether deliveries could be completed. Orpo called for additional European sanctions.
Ursula von der Leyen had previously proposed entry restrictions in a new sanctions package for Russians who fought in Ukraine or served in the military after the conflict began. CDU/CSU representatives in the European Parliament separately called for ending tourist Schengen visas for all Russians.
The European Commission, however, had said it was not planning a complete tourist visa ban for every Russian citizen. Members of the European Parliament also noted a lack of agreement. Orpo’s announcement therefore sets out an initiative for discussion rather than a change in rules across the EU.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has described tighter visa rules as discriminatory. Maria Zakharova criticised restrictions on multiple-entry visas in November 2025, while Alexander Grushko said visa restrictions undermined the EU’s position as a defender of rights and freedoms.
