FINLAND: Finland government has pushed for entry bans on Russian tourists to the European Union (EU) during a summit meet with other Nordic countries and Germany.

Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland, remarked on Monday that "Russian civilians did not initiate the conflict, but at the same time we have to realise that they support the war," reiterating Estonia's earlier request.

"I don't believe it is appropriate that Russian nationals be allowed to travel and visit the EU and the Schengen region while Russia is committing atrocities in Ukraine."  Finland, which borders Russia and is joining the security alliance NATO as a result of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, is already thinking about how to unilaterally limit tourist visas for Russian nationals.

Prior to now, the Finnish Foreign Ministry had expressed worries that some Russian visitors were using the nation as a transit point to enter the EU before continuing on to their final destination inside the bloc.

Tourists can travel freely between the 22 EU nations and Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein that make up the so-called Schengen area with the use of a tourist visa.

But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz continued to oppose a ban on Russians entering the EU on Monday, citing people who were escaping President Vladimir Putin's rule.

He said, "All the decisions we make shouldn't make it harder for them to leave the nation and seek freedom from the despot in Russia. "Putin is fighting this war, not the Russian people." The concept should be explored, according to Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark.

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