A coalition of eight EU leaders has proposed strict visa restrictions targeting demobilized Russian war veterans, urging the European Commission to bar their entry into the Schengen area over security fears.euperspectives.euwww.pravda.com.uawww.lrt.lt In a joint letter dated March 11 to European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, leaders from Germany, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Sweden highlighted risks from fighters returning from Ukraine, including those recruited from Russian prisons.spotmedia.ro They warned that such individuals could fuel organized crime, extremism, or hybrid threats, especially as Schengen visas issued to Russians rise slightly to 541,000 in 2024 after a post-2022 drop.defencematters.eu

The proposal builds on Estonia's January 2026 push for an EU-wide entry ban on Russian servicemen involved in Ukraine combat, with Tallinn already imposing national restrictions on 261 identified individuals. Signatories stressed that existing EU visa strategy allows targeted curbs on "identified former and current combatants of an aggressor state," calling for urgent Visa Code amendments and coordinated entry bans to prevent vulnerabilities in the border-free zone.united24media.com They requested the issue feature in upcoming European Council conclusions, noting over 180,000 ex-convicts among Russian recruits as a key concern.

While EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated broad support and ongoing work to block such travel, the initiative faces mixed reactions, including Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski's view that entry could enable prosecutions for war crimes. No formal Commission proposal exists yet, but the letter signals escalating efforts to shield Europe from post-conflict Russian threats amid tightening visa scrutiny since the 2022 invasion.