Ukrainian and German Foreign Ministers Discussed Eighth Package of Sanctions against Russia and Weapons
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock informally met in Prague where European heads of foreign affairs have gathered at the International Forum for Ukraine.
"Met in Prague with my counterpart and friend Annalena Baerbock. We discussed the eighth EU sanctions package, visa ban for Russians, and further arms deliveries to Ukraine. Russian energy blackmail is part of its war on Europe and must be met with a strong and unified European response," Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
Зустрівся в Празі з колегою @ABaerbock. Ми обговорили восьмий пакет санкцій ЄС, візові обмеження для росіян, подальші постачання зброї для України. Російський енергетичний шантаж є частиною війни Путіна проти Європи, і європейська відповідь на нього має бути сильною та єдиною. pic.twitter.com/hCI0FJyrOk
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) August 31, 2022
At an informal meeting on August 31, EU foreign ministers plan to discuss visa restrictions for Russian citizens in connection with Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
Eastern EU members, in particular Russia's immediate neighbors Estonia and Finland, are most actively promoting the idea of banning tourist visas. France, Germany, and the countries of Southern Europe, which are interested in Russian tourists, continue to oppose it.
According to the EU's chief diplomat, the countries are unlikely to stop delivering visas to all Russians, but they may agree to back suspending a visa facilitation agreement with Moscow.
The Czech Republic, chairing the EU Council, proposed to suspend the visa agreement with the Russian Federation as a compromise option. It will increase the visa fee from 35 to 80 euros, as well as the time for processing visa applications and the list of required documents.