Moscow accuses EU of creating new 'iron curtain'

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Brussels of trying to create a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe by imposing sanctions on ordinary Russian travellers to the EU. In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry expressed concerns about measures such as banning direct flights and tightening visa policies, which it believes are aimed at making it extremely difficult for regular Russians to visit the European Union.

The ministry stated, “the ban on direct flights, the tightening of the visa policies, and now the ‘clarification’ about sanctions, are specifically directed at hurting ordinary Russians by essentially making it impossible for them to enter the European Union.”

“It is now completely clear now that the current EU leadership intends to lower an ‘Iron Curtain’ by greatly limiting the ability of people to communicate with one another.”

They also cautioned that individual EU member states would not be able to avoid responsibility and would still be held accountable for any mistreatment of Russian nationals. Moscow urged its citizens to carefully assess the risks when planning visits to “unfriendly” countries.

The European Commission recently confirmed that the confiscation of cars and personal items brought by Russian nationals aligns with sanctions imposed on Moscow since 2014, and these sanctions were expanded following Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, initiated in February 2022. The EU stated that these restrictions, which also affect tourists and people relocating from Russia, aim to significantly weaken Russia’s economic foundation.

Several EU countries have pledged to rigorously implement these new sanctions. Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski stated, “This means that no passenger car registered in Russia will be allowed to enter Polish territory.”

Moscow has criticized the restrictions as discriminatory and “racist,” with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that there is “simply no justification” for seizing the property of ordinary citizens.

The term ‘Iron Curtain,’ originally coined by Winston Churchill, was used to describe the policies of the Soviet Union and its European allies, which severely restricted the movement of their citizens to the West.