Poland and Baltic States Ban Entry of Russian Nationals... "Open Borders Only After War Ends"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Poland and the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) have completely banned the entry of Russian nationals. Following the suspension of visa issuance, they have now restricted entry altogether, raising concerns that military tensions with Russia may escalate further. These countries continue to urge the European Union (EU) to extend the entry ban on Russians to all EU member states, suggesting that the controversy will persist within Europe in the future.

According to AFP on the 19th (local time), Poland and the Baltic States implemented a full ban on the entry of Russian nationals into their countries starting at midnight. Russians are not allowed entry except for transport workers within EU member states, family members of EU citizens, dissidents, and refugees.

Edgars Rink?vi?s, Latvia’s Foreign Minister, stated on his Twitter account, "Russian nationals cannot cross the border. They are not welcome here," adding, "If they want to leave Russia, they must first end the war with Ukraine."

Agn? Bilotait?, Lithuania’s Minister of the Interior, also emphasized in a statement that day, "Russia is an unpredictable and aggressive country. Since three-quarters of its people support the war, Lithuania cannot allow those who support the war to travel freely around the world."

As a result of this measure, Russian nationals attempting to cross into Lithuania on the day were stopped. The Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior announced that 11 Russian citizens who tried to enter were turned away under the entry ban. They were attempting to enter by land from Kaliningrad or neighboring Belarus. A strong backlash from Russia is expected in the future.

However, despite this border closure, the Schengen Agreement, which governs open borders within the EU, makes it impossible to prevent Russians who first enter other EU countries from entering indirectly. Poland and the Baltic States are requesting the EU to expand the entry ban to all EU member states, but no agreement has been reached yet.