Russian Security Council Vice President Dmitry Medvedev said Russian soldiers “do not need visas” to enter Europe, suggesting they could do so by force.
Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia/PHOTO: Profimedia
In a message published on the X platform, Medvedev reacted to the statements of the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, who stated that the European Union is analyzing ways to restrict the access of Russian ex-servicemen to the Schengen area.
“They could come in without a visa if they want. Like in 1812 or 1945“, the Russian official wrote, referring to historical military campaigns in Europe. In the same message, he used offensive language against Kallas.
The statements were made on February 23, a day marked in Russia as “Defender of the Fatherland Day”, and a day before the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, launched on February 24, 2022.
Since the beginning of the war, Medvedev has repeatedly issued threats to European states and made references to the possibility of using nuclear weapons. His social media posts frequently include verbal attacks on EU and US leaders.
Earlier, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Kallas said the EU bloc, together with the European Commission, was working on measures that could prevent “potentially hundreds of thousands of former Russian soldiers” from entering the Schengen area.
“We don't want people who might be involved in war crimes or acts of sabotage walking freely on our streets,” she said.
There are, for now, no details on the exact form these restrictions could take or the timetable in which they could be adopted.
