Overview

• Euractiv reported that the EU’s 19th sanctions package may include stricter requirements for issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens.
• Pronews, as relayed by RIA Novosti, said Greece, Italy, Spain, France and Hungary blocked an initiative to curb visas for Russians, a claim not independently confirmed in these reports.
• EU foreign‑policy chief Kaja Kallas has acknowledged that agreeing new sanctions measures is becoming increasingly difficult.
• A European diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that France continues to issue visas to Russians, with about 140,000 granted in 2024.
• The Spanish visa center website in Moscow stated that it is not accepting applications due to technical reasons.