EU proposes entry ban for Russian soldiers as part of new sanctions package

The EU will seek to impose an entry ban on all Russian soldiers who have participated in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as part of its 21st package of sanctions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday.

The proposal would bar those who have served in the Russian Armed Forces since the start of the war in 2022, including those who are not Russian citizens, from receiving Schengen visas. It comes after a coalition of 11 European countries called for harsher visa restrictions on Russian tourists at an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg last week.

Other measures proposed as part of the new package of sanctions include a range of export and import restrictions covering military industries, metals, and drone technology, as well as a new import ban targeting Russian fisheries.

The EU’s existing price cap on Russian oil imports will be frozen, in an attempt to maintain pressure on the Russian energy industry amid rising oil prices caused by disruptions in the Middle East. An additional 30 oil tankers will be added to the list of sanctioned Russian vessels.

According to Reuters, the package’s proposed expansion of the list of sanctioned Russian banks would be the largest yet, adding 90 new banks and taking the total to over 100. Von der Leyen also said that European sanctions would target cryptocurrency platforms with ties to Russian finance for the first time, including those located in third countries.

Alongside the proposed sanctions, the EU will disburse the first payment of a €90 billion loan to Ukraine by the end of June, and this week will formally open negotiations for the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the bloc.

Billions of euros in EU assistance to Ukraine, as well as previous packages of sanctions against Russia, were repeatedly vetoed or delayed by Hungary under the government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

However, since ousting Orban in a general election last month, the country’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar has indicated that his government will support tougher EU measures against Russia and expanded economic assistance for Ukraine.

Last week, Magyar announced that Hungary would drop a long-held veto on Ukrainian EU accession, after reaching a deal to protect the rights of circa 100,000 ethnic Hungarians who live in western Ukraine.