Lithuania plans to ban entry for Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine, following Estonia’s lead toward a coordinated EU approach. The move relies on verified data to avoid legal disputes.
Lithuania plans to ban entry to Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine. This information is reported by LRT, citing Ukrinform.
The Lithuanian Minister of the Interior, Vladyslav Kondratovych, noted that the list of Russian servicemen is already under consideration, but practical steps to implement it are still being discussed.
«This is a national initiative; Estonia has already begun its implementation, and we are now figuring out when, who, and how it can be implemented, since this is a complex task»
– press service
Kondratovych stressed the need to verify the accuracy of the data to avoid legal disputes in the future.
«Our colleagues in Estonia have this list. We exchange it, they are already implementing it, and we are joining»
– Vladyslav Kondratovych
According to the official, the number of Russians who fought against Ukraine could reach hundreds of thousands.
In January, Estonia urged EU member states to introduce a coordinated ban on issuing Schengen visas to those who fought in Ukraine on the side of Russia. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys then expressed support for such an initiative.
Under current Lithuanian law, visa applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens are not accepted, except in cases where the Foreign Ministry acts as an intermediary.
As Ukrinform reported, in January Estonia imposed a ban on entry for 261 people who fought in the war against Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation. In February, the country further expanded this list by another 1,073 people.
Context and Prospects for Action
According to government representatives, Lithuania is considering introducing similar restrictions and coordinating them with the EU through data exchange and the relevant procedures.