State department says it does not want to close off pathways for Russian dissidents and victims of human rights abuses
The United States has rebuffed Ukraine’s demand for a blanket visa ban on Russians, saying Washington would not want to close off pathways to refuge for Russia’s dissidents and others who are vulnerable to human rights abuses.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had first urged the visa ban in an interview earlier this month with the Washington Post, saying Russians should “live in their own world until they change their philosophy”.
“The US wouldn’t want to close off pathways to refuge and safety for Russia’s dissidents or others who are vulnerable to human rights abuses,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve also been clear that it is important to draw a line between the actions of the Russian government and its policies in Ukraine, and the people of Russia,” the spokesperson added.
Some EU leaders such as the Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin, and her Estonian counterpart, Kaja Kallas, have called for an EU-wide visa ban. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, opposed this on Monday, saying Russians should be able to flee their home country if they disagree with the regime.
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