Finland’s Visa Restriction Measure Is Russophobia - Russian FM

Finland's decision to restrict entry visas for Russians is part of widespread Russophobia in some EU countries, Russian Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Ivan Nechayev said.

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The deputy spokesman said Russia will react to this move, which reflects "politically motivated discrimination against Russians on ethnic grounds."

According to Nechayev, the Russian Foreign Ministry "pays attention to the fact that such actions confirm Finland's and the entire European Union's disregard for its international commitments." 

Last Tuesday, the Finnish Foreign Ministry announced that from September 1, only 500 Finnish visa applications would be processed from Russia per day when currently about 1 000 are processed. Only 20 percent will be for tourists.

The Baltic States, namely Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have already stopped granting visas to Russians. These countries strongly support an EU-wide ban on Russians, while the EU has rejected such a move.