Zahharova Responds to New EU Visa Restrictions

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has commented on the statement made by the EU foreign policy chief, Kaia Kallas, indicating that visits to the EU are a "privilege, not a natural right." Her remarks came after the European Union announced the limitation on granting multiple Schengen visas to Russian citizens.

According to the European Commission, this decision was made with the consensus of all Schengen zone countries. Kallas noted that entering the EU should be viewed as a privilege, conditioned by the political and security interests of Europe.

In her response on her Telegram channel, Zakharova emphasized that such statements overlook citizens who have legally obtained visas and are visiting EU countries for tourism purposes. She highlighted that the EU is "favoring not legal visitors, but illegal migrants."