MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. The European Commission's ban on issuing new multiple-entry visas to Russian citizens strikes many as ineffectual, misguided, and counterproductive, according to Konstantin Kalachev, a political scientist and expert at the P.A. Stolypin Institute for Growth Economics. In an interview with TASS, he emphasized that the measure ultimately harms European nations themselves.
Earlier, the European Commission announced a comprehensive ban on issuing new multiple-entry visas to Russian nationals. Kalachev commented, "The decision to restrict multiple-entry Schengen visas for Russians appears helpless, ineffective, and even foolish, because it ultimately damages European interests." He pointed out that Russian citizens hold nearly $100 billion in foreign currency cash. "This doesn’t mean they intend to spend all of it on tourism, but they are certainly willing to allocate a significant portion. Such measures give the illusion of decisive action, but in reality, they are superficial and ineffective," Kalachev explained.
He further argued that Europe’s restrictive policies are self-defeating. "Those whom the European Commission aims to punish often possess diplomatic passports or hold citizenship from other countries such as Serbia, Montenegro, Argentina, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, or Cyprus, or they hold golden visas for real estate investments in Europe," Kalachev noted. "By imposing these bans, Europe ends up harming itself and its own economic interests."