The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union has convened a meeting of the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) group for 26 September to discuss the latest developments in the war in Ukraine and in particular the issue of Russian citizens seeking to join the EU after Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the partial mobilisation of 300,000 citizens, Prague said on 23 September, confirming a report by Politico.
The EU27 ambassadors will be invited to the meeting, while the Baltic countries and the Czech Republic have indicated in recent days that they will not issue visas to Russian citizens who do not wish to be involved in the war in Ukraine (see EUROPE 13027/9).
In a statement released to the press, the Czech Presidency did not want to anticipate the nature of Monday’s talks or the possible outcomes.
“Russians who leave their country for fear of being mobilised do not qualify for a humanitarian visa in the Czech Republic”, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said on 22 September.
“Every citizen is responsible for the actions of their State, and Russian citizens are no exception. Therefore, we do not grant asylum to Russian men fleeing their country. They should oppose the war”, commented Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on Friday 23 September.
These countries have only committed to issuing humanitarian visas to opponents of the regime and human rights activists. But Germany, for its part, has announced that it will instead welcome all Russians who wish to flee their country and not fight in Ukraine.
The Commission will also organise a meeting of the ‘Blueprint’ group within its Home Affairs services on Saturday 24 September to discuss the situation. The Commission recalled on Friday that the access of people coming to the EU to seek international protection must always be respected and examined on a case-by-case basis. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)