MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. The European Union is veering down a troubling path of restrictive practices, with countries encircling themselves in "barbed wire" and repeatedly imposing bans on their own citizens, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
"It is astonishing how the European Union is now following the very worst practices they once warned us against - reminiscent of the Soviet system," Zakharova remarked. "Suddenly, they have surrounded themselves with barbed wire, constantly restricting their own citizens from certain freedoms."
She further emphasized that such measures fundamentally undermine the principles of the OSCE and the European Union's own commitments to free movement. "All that remains are empty words. I believe soon there will be nothing left to say."
Zakharova highlighted the barriers Poland has erected for Russian and Belarusian citizens seeking to visit the EU. "Look at the numerous obstacles Poland has placed in the way of Belarusian and Russian visitors - denying visas and provoking incidents," she noted.
In contrast, Zakharova pointed to Belarus’s openness.
