Kaja Kallas Photo: Andrei Ivanov / Getty Images
Kallas presented the initiative before the start of the meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
According to her, European institutions have data on Russians who took part in hostilities, RBC reports.
“It’s like adding them to the Schengen blacklist so they can’t enter Europe. I’m not an expert on visas or these issues, but, as our experts say, it’s feasible,” the EU’s top diplomat told reporters.
The proposal became part of the discussion on new restrictive measures against Russia. In recent weeks, the European Commission and the European External Action Service have been working on another package of sanctions, which, according to Kallas, is intended to increase pressure on Moscow.
Earlier, the European Commission presented a draft of a new sanctions package that would impose restrictions on Russian banks, companies linked to the defense sector, as well as individuals and organizations that, according to Brussels, are helping to circumvent existing sanctions.
As reported by The Guardian, for the first time, the possibility of extending restrictions to individuals who served in the Russian armed forces after the start of the military conflict in Ukraine is also being considered. If the initiative is approved, they may be barred from entering the European Union.
For the new sanctions to take effect, unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states is required. Discussions on the measures are ongoing at the level of foreign ministers and permanent representatives of the member states.
