MOSCOW, September 16. /TASS/. The European Union, contrary to its obligations in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, continues to use its visa policy for Russians to artificially sustain its Russophobic agenda, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"Through visa manipulation, contrary to their own commitments not to do this, and they have undertaken such commitments within the OSCE, they continue to maintain this degree of Russophobia," the diplomat told TASS in an interview commenting on reports of Brussels' plans to tighten the issuance of visas to Russians as part of the next package of sanctions.
Zakharova said that the European countries "have nothing to show either to their voters or to their citizens, neither in the sphere of economics, nor in the sphere of geopolitics, nor in the sphere of culture, science and art."
"This degree of Russophobia is propped up artificially. They need to continue to create a sense of some kind of threat from Russia among their people. The situation in Ukraine is a stalemate for them, they don't want to admit their mistakes, perhaps they just can't. Accordingly, somehow it is necessary to keep afloat the thesis of this alleged Russian aggression."
