Leaders of eight EU countries call for Schengen entry ban for former Russian soldiers
Leaders of eight EU member states have urged the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to prepare a joint decision to restrict entry to the Schengen area for individuals who have served in Russia's armed forces.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the leaders of the three Baltic states, as well as Poland, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Romania, have written to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to outline their concerns about the potential threat posed by former Russian service members entering Europe.
"We believe that one of the most serious and persistent risks is the potential movement of former and currently active Russian combatants into the Schengen Area. Any entry of such individuals may have serious consequences for the security of all EU member states. Therefore, decisive and coordinated action is urgently required to prevent negative consequences!" he said.
Together with leaders from 🇱🇻, 🇪🇪, 🇵🇱, 🇫🇮, 🇩🇪, 🇷🇴 & 🇸🇪, we have addressed the President of the European Council @eucopresident and the President of the European Commission @vonderleyen regarding the threat posed by former Russian combatants.
We believe that one of the most…– Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) March 13, 2026
In the letter to the EU leaders, seen by European Pravda, the eight countries argued that there is a serious risk of former Russian combatants becoming involved in organised crime, extremist movements or hostile activities against EU countries in the context of Russia's hybrid actions.
They also emphasised that over 180,000 Russian soldiers had previous criminal convictions and were released early in exchange for signing military contracts.
The leaders warned that there has been a noticeable rise in the number of Schengen visas issued to Russian citizens. Since there is free movement within the Schengen area, security considerations do not depend on which country issued a particular visa or residence permit. They added that inaction could create long-term vulnerabilities that can still be avoided at this stage.
The eight presidents and prime ministers also pointed out that the EU's new visa policy strategy already allows targeted restrictions on issuing visas in the event of a serious deterioration in relations with a particular third country, including a category covering identified former or current combatants of an aggressor state.
They called on the European Commission to urgently look into the matter and propose specific options for EU-level decisions, including targeted amendments to the Visa Code or the use of other appropriate instruments.
Given the importance of this issue, they proposed that it be addressed and a common position set out in the conclusions of the upcoming March summit of EU leaders.
In January 2026, Estonia began promoting within the EU the idea of banning entry to the Schengen area for anyone who has served in the Russian armed forces and taken part in combat operations in Ukraine. Officials in Tallinn have argued that such ex-combatants could become a valuable asset for Russian intelligence services and organised crime.
Meanwhile, Estonia has begun to introduce such a ban within its national competences with respect to individuals identified as Russian military personnel.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the idea has the support of many countries and will continue to be discussed.
Lithuania is also preparing to ban entry for members of the Russian armed forces who have fought against Ukraine.