BRUSSELS, March 28. /TASS/. The European Commission has recommended the European Union’s member states to brace themselves for annulling the so-called ‘golden passports’ from citizens of Russia and Belarus, who are on the sanctions list, according to a statement from the European executive body on Monday.

"In a recommendation issued today, the Commission is urging Member States to immediately repeal any existing investor citizenship schemes and to ensure strong checks are in place to address the risks posed by investor residence schemes," the statement from the European Commission reads.

The European Commission also said that it "frequently and consistently raised its serious concerns about investor citizenship and residence schemes and the inherent risks they pose. Today's recommendation forms part of the Commission's broader policy to take determined action on these schemes."

"Residence permits granted under an investor residence scheme to Russian or Belarusian nationals subject to sanctions should be immediately withdrawn, following an individual assessment and in accordance with the principle of proportionality, fundamental rights and Member States' national law," the European Commission stated in the statement.

"To address these immediate risks, the Commission is also recommending today that Member States assess whether citizenship granted under a ‘golden passport' scheme to Russian or Belarusian nationals on an EU sanctions list… should be withdrawn," the European Commission (EC) stated.

The statement from the EC also quoted the EC Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, as saying that: "The right to travel freely within the Schengen area is among our greatest assets."

"We need strong checks to make sure this right is not abused. Golden residence permits issued to Russians and Belarusians under EU sanctions should be revoked," the high-ranking European official added.

Sanctions on Russia and Belarus

On February 22, 2022, the Western countries announced their decision to impose new sanctions on Russia following Moscow’s recognition of the DPR and LPR (the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics respectively).

The next package of restrictions followed when Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. In addition to this, Western countries have ramped up arms supplies and financial assistance to Kiev. The West has also imposed a series of sanctions on Belarus and its officials because Minsk backed Russia's actions.

Large Russian banks and companies, Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, members of the government and parliament, diplomats, security officials, businessmen, bankers, media representatives and others came under Western sanctions.

Military operation in Ukraine

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees at a ceremony in the Kremlin recognizing the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). Putin met with DPR leader Denis Pushilin and LPR leader Leonid Pasechnik, and signed treaties with them on friendship, cooperation and mutual aid between Russia and both republics.

President Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request from the heads of the Donbass republics, he had decided to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from the Kiev regime’s abuse and genocide for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.

The Russian Defense Ministry had reassured earlier that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, and were limited to conducting surgical strikes and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure, insisting that there is no threat whatsoever to the civilian population.