uawire.org
Finland urges EU to halt tourist visas for Russian citizens
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he will propose halting the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens at next week's European Council meeting, according to an interview with the Ykkösaamu program on Finnish broadcaster Yle. Orpo called the measure a concrete step to strengthen Europe's security and counter the threat posed by Russia.
He explained that his proposal stems from concerns that Moscow is preparing acts of sabotage within the European Union. “We are concerned that Russia is planning sabotage in Europe. So why are we letting them in as tourists, where they can move freely?” Orpo said.
In the same interview, Orpo called the recent Russia–US agreement on diesel fuel deliveries “a huge disappointment.” He noted that the agreed supply would only cover a small part of US consumption and questioned whether the delivery would happen at all. In his view, the deal is unlikely to have a major impact on the US or global market.
Orpo also voiced frustration with Google, which cleared hundreds of hectares of forest for data centers in Muhos even though the environmental impact assessment is not yet complete. He rejected a proposal from Finland’s Ministry of Finance to rapidly raise the retirement age to 70, calling it unrealistic.
In June, 11 European countries, including Finland, criticized the uneven application of Schengen visa guidelines for Russian citizens and urged the European Commission to introduce new restrictions as soon as possible. In response, the European Commission promised to propose “targeted restrictive visa measures,” but not before 2027. France, Italy, and Spain issue the most visas to Russian citizens.
