Latvian Foreign Minister: "Russians, do not try to cross the border"

Foreign Minister of Latvia Edgers Rinkevs on Twitter turned to Russian citizens with an appeal not to come to the country. He recalled that from September 19, Latvia will limit the entry for Russian citizens with Schengen visas. The authorities of the four countries previously made the decision on this - except Latvia, this is Estonia, Lithuania and Poland.

The reason for the decision of Rinkevs in his tweet, written in Russian, called security considerations and Russian aggression against Ukraine. "Russians, do not try to cross the border, they are not waiting for you here, stop the war against Ukraine and get out of this beautiful country!" - The Foreign Minister Latvia wrote further. The tweet caused a violent discussion, some of the commentators thanked the Latvian authorities for the decision, others recalled that EU countries continued to buy energy in Russia, thereby indirectly financing the war, or criticized the tone of the minister’s message.

🇷🇺⛔️S September 19, Latvia, for considerations of security and in connection with Russian aggression, limits the entry of Russian citizens with Schengen visas. Russians, do not try to cross the border, they are not waiting for you here, stop the war against 🇺🇦 and get out of this beautiful country!

- Edgars rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) September 16, 2022

The Baltic countries and Poland announced that they would not pass through their border Russians with Schengen visas, even issued by other countries of the Schengen agreement. Exceptions will be made for those who enter family and humanitarian circumstances. Previously, these same countries were among those who sought a complete ban on the issuance of visas to the Russians. Such a ban was not introduced, but the European Union suspended the simplified visa regime with Russia - which will lead, at least, to the rise in the cost of visas and an increase in the duration of their issuance.

Finland remains the only EU country bordering Russia, which did not introduce a ban on crossing its border for owners of Schengen tourist visas.

The inhabitants of the residence permit are currently not extended. According to Delfi, the Latvia Sejm on Friday in the first reading adopted a bill on tightening the issuance and extension of a residence permit for citizens of Russia and Belarus.