Published on
26/06/2026 - 10:31 GMT+2
France and Italy have expressed scepticism about a plan to ban current and former Russian combatants from entering the bloc, citing legal and technical concerns.
The two countries currently receive the highest number of visa applications from Russia of any EU member states, and according to three diplomatic sources, they are wary of the proposal to bar Russians who served in the military from entering the EU.
The ban was introduced as part of the 21st sanctions package targeting Russia over its war of aggression against Ukraine. Officials cited security as the main rationale, drawing a comparison with the EU's earlier ban on former Islamic State fighters.
