The European Union is weighing a diluted proposal to bar Russian military personnel from entering the bloc after France and Italy pushed back against a broader initial plan from the European Commission. The revised measure would restrict only short-term visas for individuals who directly took part in combat in Ukraine since February 2022, dropping the original presumption that every applicant was complicit unless proven otherwise.
The original proposal covered all armed forces personnel including administrative and logistics staff, a scope Paris and Rome argued could open the door to a sweeping entry ban on all Russians. They maintain such curbs should be handled through visa policy rather than sanctions. Ireland, holding the EU Council presidency, brokered the narrower language and expanded exemptions for humanitarian, state-interest, and international-obligation cases.
Northern and Eastern European states have resisted the softenings, citing concern over high volumes of Russian tourist visas. EU ambassadors are set to discuss the measure on 15 July as part of the bloc's 21st sanctions package.